That Which Shines Brightest
by Ruri Hoshino
Summary: Update: Evil coalesces from the darkness and the miko, Yukino, is taken. Rin is wounded during battle and Sesshoumaru finds himself a prisoner to his own actions when all is said and done.
1. 01: The Night Before

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

Having tried to find the best way to lay out plotline notes has not been easy for this piece of fiction, since you have a limited amount of space to work with. So I thought the best way to do it might be to give a base synopsis of overall plot here. At the beginning of each new chapter you will find a brief plot synopsis as well; thus, leaving room for a description of the current chapter that is being updated for when it's posted on the outside.

Having said that, then, the basic plotline is as follows:

It's been 10 years since the defeat of Naraku, and Kagome has tried to leave her past behind but finds that her heart can't let go. She may have made an error in coming back home, but realizing that won't get her back to the past. Just how will she find her way back to the Sengoku Jidai when she has no shard to take her there? The answer may lie in a mysterious priest with amber eyes and silver hair whom has a keen interest in her and a Forbidden Soul that's searching to find its way back to where it belongs.

Characters involved in this story are: Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Rin, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kikyou, Toutousai, Myouga and a few original characters to help plot development.

If you are interested in the pairings I will put it at the end of this chapter in case there are those who do not wish to know before reading the story.

**The Night Before**

Inuyasha makes his first reluctant foray into Inuyasha forest for the time in ten years. Why does he go there and what will he learn?

**CHAPTER ONE**

Inuyasha paused and glanced up at the moon, a deep frown forming a groove between his brows. It was but a small sliver. The last bit of light left before the complete darkness that would come tomorrow with the new moon. With a jerk of his head he looked away, and started moving forward again. Amber eyes roved across the shadowed terrain, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Bare feet carried him over familiar paths he could walk in his sleep.

All seemed quiet enough, but still, he couldn't shake his restlessness.

"It's just because it's so close to my weak time of the month," he told himself, irritably pushing away a long strand of silvery hair that wandered across his face in the tenuous wind.

It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that he'd woken up that morning, shaking, his body drenched in a cold sweat, and his eyes dilated in shock as he relived an old nightmare – one that he thought he'd put behind him long ago.

Despite his better judgment, he let that old dream flare to life in his mind's eye now, blotting out the landscape in front of him, trying to prove to himself that it no longer held sway over him.

Vividly, he could picture Kagome returning to her world, their stiff and awkward farewell still ringing in his ears as he waited for her to disappear. And then, gripped by a sudden terror, he was following her, knowing before he even got to the bottom of the well that the portal had been sealed.

For months and months after they'd parted, he'd woken up this way; shaken and feeling sick, the irrational fear that when that day came and he was ready to try and bring her back, he would be unable to – that somehow there was a grain of truth in these twisted nightmares that haunted him.

But instead of reassuring himself that everything was fine by going down into the well, he did just the opposite: he stayed as far away as he possibly could while still doing his job of protecting the Shikon no Tama.

_How could I have possibly gone down there back then?_ he asked himself now, _when all eyes had been watching and waiting for that VERY thing? Waiting for me to say that I was wrong in letting her go home in the first place!_

Well, he WASN'T wrong, dammit!

It had been _her_ decision!

"_Gah_!" Inuyasha snorted.

Even now, ten years later, the way she had looked and her final, private parting words to him still had the power to provoke him. For the first time in ten years, and perhaps because of the dreams of that morning, to his dismay, he found himself reliving yet another memory: those horrible, tumultuous moments of the worst days of his life; when Kagome had decided to leave.

"I need to go home, Inuyasha," he recalled her saying, beginning to look uneasy.

"Why?" he'd asked, completely caught off guard, his face flooding with color as she had stared at him a long moment, making him feel stupid for asking.

"Because our job is done," she'd finally remarked, gesturing with a wide weep of her hands, "because there is nothing left to keep me from returning home to my friends and family."

"Well what about us? He'd asked a little sullenly, still trying to recover his equanimity. How he hated feeling the fool. "We're your friends too."

"I know, Inuyasha," she'd responded quietly, her gaze falling away from him but not before he'd seen an expression of pain mingled with sadness dwelling deep within her eyes. "-But you see, Mama, Jii-chan, and Souta are all waiting for me to come home. And also – I need to find my place in my own world…"

These last words had come haltingly and he'd given her a puzzled look.

"Find your place?" he'd echoed stupidly. "But, you have a place… with us," he'd insisted.

Her brows had drawn slightly together at that, as if his stubbornness angered her.

"That's not fair, Inuyasha," she'd said, bringing her gaze back to him. "What about you and Kikyou?" she'd demanded, and he'd been unable to respond. "I've seen her hovering on the edges of town near dawn, every morning, as if she's come just to see you, Inuyasha, - and I've seen you too," her voice had wobbled slightly, but her gaze remained unwavering as she kept her dark eyes pinned to him. "- up every morning, pacing restlessly, waiting to see if she would come, even though she rapidly withdraws when you try to approach her..."

Inuyasha remembered how startled he'd been at first when he realized she knew, and then how guilty he'd felt at being found out. It must have shown on his face because Kagome, who had been watching him closely, seemed to emotionally crumple from the inside out, as if she'd just had all the life sucked out of her.

"The way you love her, Inuyasha," she'd said quietly, and he'd shifted uneasily, tumultuous emotions building inside him. "How you have done everything for her; wanting to protect her, to sacrifice for her. – In your heart and in your eyes… she will always be…. first." Kagome had stared dully at him and he'd done nothing to deny it, standing there, his hands fisted at his sides, angry and confused, not knowing how to tell her how he'd felt. Only able to listen as she continued, his anger growing by leaps and bounds with her every word. "I need to find someone who will put me first in his heart, Inuyasha, and I think for that to happen, I need to return home -"

Making a slashing motion with his hand then, he'd cut off any other words she'd been about to say.

"Fine!" He'd exploded furiously, and Kagome had started in surprise at his outburst. "— But just don't expect me to come and get you in a month or two when the perfect man of your dreams doesn't appear!"

And so a few days later, she left, sadly wishing her other friends farewell as they all stood next to the well. And then she'd turned to him, one final time, but he'd still been peeved that she was leaving and, with a snort, he'd crossed his arms and turned away from her.

But his sensitive ears couldn't block out her pain as she spoke. Her voice wavered and broke as she addressed him, and that peeved him too; knowing that the sadness of leaving all of them wasn't enough to keep her there in the first place.

"Well, Inuyasha… please take care of yourself. I'm depending on you to take care of Shippou – and Rin, too, now that she is training to be a miko and a guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Sango, Miroku and Kaede-bachan will be able to help her with a lot of things, but she will need your strength and guidance too…" her voice had petered out and there was an awkward moment in which no one spoke.

And then, she was gone. Afterwards, the air had been filled with Shippou's disconsolate sobbing and shrill recriminations of, "Inuyasha! This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Grimacing, Inuyasha pushed away his past reflections. They only increased his restlessness, as he somehow knew they would. He turned to look at the moon once more, but his thoughts would not be so easily banished. It had been ten years, so why was he suddenly dreaming about the well again? As he stood mulling it over, a raucous cry broke the air.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha_!" it echoed through the stillness of the night, and Inuyasha's ears twitched, his face falling into a scowl as he honed in on the source of the sound.

"You stupid bird," he hissed, turning his head, his eyes finding the outline of the grey Laughing Scythe Shrike.

Even though it was still young, in its transformed state it was a rather large bird, its wingspan at least 10 feet, with long curling tail feathers. He had seen it earlier that evening, along with the mutilated remains of the rest of a small flock that were being attacked by a swarm of Blood Wasps, whose favorite food happened to be Shrike.

Normally, Scythe Shrikes were formidable foes in their own right: their wings and tail feathers capable of delivering gusts of fatal, cutting scythe attacks; but against an entire swarm of Blood Wasps, there was no way they could have survived.

"I told you before," Inuyasha exclaimed impatiently as the bird swooped gracefully towards him, attracted to Inuyasha by the vibrant, red color of his kimono, "I am not a giant piece of fruit and I do NOT have any food for you! Go find food yourself!"

He waved his arms at the bird, noting that some of the Shrike's feathers were missing. He also caught a strong whiff of blood – he'd smelled it before, but he'd thought that it had just been the blood from the other Shrikes. He hadn't realized that the young Shrike had also been wounded.

With a mournful cry the Shrike veered away from Inuyasha straight towards Inuyasha forest. Sighing, Inuyasha put his hand on Tetsusaiga and trailed slowly after the bird, extremely loathe to go beyond the trees despite the fact that he felt slightly remorseful.

"Oy!" he called after the dimwitted bird, his words showing no softness. "Don't go in there! You wanna get eaten!"

The Shrike ignored him and continued onward, and Inuyasha swore under his breath. This would be the first time he'd actually been in the forest since Kagome's departure, ten years ago, and he seriously thought about turning around and going the other way. But that stupid Shrike would die for sure if he didn't go after it. It was a well known fact that Blood Wasps nested in there.

"Stupid bird," he grumbled again.

Then, shooting a look left, and one right to make sure that neither Rin, nor Shippou nor Sango were anywhere to be seen for he knew he would never hear the end of it if any of them saw him going inside Inuyasha darted beyond the line of trees where he saw the Shrike disappear, tracking the scent of the wounded bird.

Just within the perimeter of the trees, Inuyasha's ears picked up the low sound of buzzing amid the hushed whispering of the wind among the tree branches, and he immediately followed the sound. Several of the farmers in old Kaede-baba's village had complained about the increased number of nests in here. The wasps would sometimes attack them while they were in their rice fields. Kaede had mentioned it to Sango, and she and Rin had cleaned the forest out twice already, but the winged parasites were always quick to return.

Maybe he should find the wasps before looking for the Shrike - but he hesitated to do that. They were extremely aggressive, and killing them would expend a lot of precious time – _and time was everything if he was to find that dimwitted bird before they did_, he thought in aggravation.

Turning his head, Inuyasha breathed in deeply, trying to track the bird's scent. But the wind made it difficult to find, dispersing it over a wide area. Looking up, all he could see was the black denseness of the trees' canopy. There was no sign of the mocking cry, nor the beat of the bird's wings nearby, but his ears did tell him that there was a swarm of wasps fairly close by.

"Heh," he snorted with a feral half-smile, cracking his knuckles as he wended his way through the trees. 'Too easy." Within seconds he was on them, ripping through them with his claws. Nothing was left but small slivers of transparent wing and chunks of shiny, hard shell with bits of flesh still attached to them – food for the crows.

Inuyasha turned and continued on, raising his head and again sniffing the air. Was it his imagination, or was the smell of blood heavier now? Had the wasps gotten to the Shrike?

"Oy! Bird!" Inuyasha called, searching the boughs of the trees, "can you hear me?"

His body taught, Inuyasha listened intently for the flutter of bird wings. His ears twitched while the smell of blood strongly assaulted his nose, but all he could hear was the hum of those bloody insects! There seemed to be several more swarms in his vicinity, and they would have smelled the bird's blood too. If Inuyasha was going to find him, he thought darkly to himself, it had better be soon…

Again Inuyasha took off running, this time towards the center of the forest. It was hard to tell for certain because of the wind, but it seemed this might be where the scent of blood dwelled the strongest. Bursting through low-lying branches, he surprised another swarm and made quick work of them, his claws slashing left and right with deadly precision. Within seconds, it was over, and he stood, almost at the center of the forest now, trying not to think about how close he was to the Goshin Boku and the Bone Eater's Well.

"Oy! Bird!" he called again, this time hoping desperately the bird would respond so he would have to go no deeper into the forest.

His heart was already beating uncomfortably fast – and it wasn't from exertion either.

"Damn, bird!" he muttered under his breath and then broke off as he heard laughter amid the fluttering of wings from over head.

Looking up, relief flooded through him as he saw the Scythe Shrike alight high in the branches of a tree, muttering and laughing down at him.

Inuyasha listened to it for half a minute and the waved his arm impatiently.

"All right already! What are you yapping at me for? I came to save you, didn't I?" He crossed his arms and tapped his toe impatiently. "So get down here where it's safe and I can keep an eye on you!" He jerked his head towards his shoulder as he spoke, even going so far as to lift his hand and pointedly tap it, before lapsing back into his nonchalant pose to wait.

The Shrike tilted its head, its grey eyes focused consideringly on Inuyasha.

Its hesitancy made Inuyasha grind his teeth and he stomped his foot, his nonchalance disintegrating into a burst of ill-humor. "Don't you just sit there, you ungrateful little wretch!" he growled, waving his fist at the bird, "or I'll come up there and rip the rest of your feathers out before the wasps can do it for you!"

The Shrike laughed and Inuyasha roared in anger, even more incensed, but he stopped, a look of sheer surprise on his face as the bird, now in its smaller form, left the branch and with wings outstretched, glided down to land softly on his shoulder. Then the Shrike reached out and playfully nipped at his ear and Inuyasha felt color spill across his face.

"I see after all that, you still didn't manage to find anything to eat, did you," he complained as the Scythe Shrike laughed softly to itself, adjusting its feet on Inuyasha's shoulder as it took another playful nip. "Stop that!" Inuyasha turned, his amber eyes gazing balefully at the bird which seemed not to notice his ire. "Just because I found you, doesn't mean that I can't leave you here. Keep pushing your luck –" Inuyasha ranted, breaking off suddenly as the sharp, acrid smell of smoke burned his nostrils.

_Fire?_ he thought. It was close too. Near the well - _That couldn't be good._

Instinctively he turned and began moving as quickly as he could towards the Bone Eater's Well. The abruptness of his motion upset the Shrike and sent it away from his shoulder.

"Sorry," Inuyasha called up to it as it circled above him. "Transform. As long as you stay close, you'll be safe."

Changing size, the Shrike soared a little higher and Inuyasha was satisfied that it wasn't going to fly too far away and into danger when it continued to circle around him. His attention now free, he focused all of it into tracking the trail of smoke, this morning's dream standing out starkly in his mind, a huge knot forming in his stomach, as he was led in the direction of the Bone Eater's Well.

_Was the well on fire? Would he arrive to find it destroyed? Dear God… could it be that he might not ever see Kagome again!_

As he got closer to the veil of trees hiding the well, it felt like something inside him might explode, and yet at the same time, there was a voice in the back of his mind telling him that something wasn't right.

He would smell the smoke, but where was the roaring sound of timber being consumed? The heat of the fire as it burned through the forest? Even now, he should be able to see the red haze of the flames brightening the darkness. But there was nothing. Nothing but this nebulous smell of smoke and the terrible feeling that he was about to lose Kagome for forever.

Finally he could see it, and Inuyasha stopped abruptly, staring at it.

The Bone Eater's Well.

His heart was pounding with raw emotion.

There was no fire to be seen. He couldn't see any smoke either. But he could definitely smell it. The air around the well was filled with it, and it seemed to be coming from inside the well.

Slowly, Inuyasha approached it, his heart which had been pounding so violently before, now squeezed tightly in his chest. Was the Well House on Kagome's side on fire? Could the connection between their two worlds really be in danger? Could Kagome be in danger as well?

All of those dreams of losing her, of the portal failing seemed to be coming true, and Inuyasha felt a wild rush of panic. Ten years of digging in his heels and refusing to go near the well rose up to taunt him – ten years of possible chances to bring her back that might never come to fruition because of his pride.

A fresh gust of wind swirled around him and the insidious smell seemed to wrap around him, suffocating him, making it impossible for him to think. _I have to know_, he thought. _This might be my last chance, if it isn't already too late…_

Inuyasha put his hand on the ledge of the well and leaned forward, mentally preparing himself. Taking a deep breath he was ready, but instead of surging forwards like he ought to, he found himself stumbling backwards, startled into retreat at hearing the sound of his own name.

"Inuyasha?" Sango addressed him with equal parts incredulity and shock.

Inuyasha turned his head and immediately she saw the wild look that ran rampant in his eyes.

"Inuyasha, are you all right?" she asked in concern, breaking away from Rin and Shippou to approach him.

The younger two remained momentarily silent, still gaping at him as if he'd suddenly stripped butt-naked to dance Kabuki.

Inuyasha blinked at Sango, and the panic he'd been experiencing slowly faded as he realized that his second worst nightmare had just come true.

"Inuyasha!" Shippou finally piped up joyfully, never without a voice for long, "you were finally going to go get Kagome, weren't you!"

Inuyasha stifled his grimace.

"Er, no, I was –"

"Yes, you were!" Shippou's face collapsed into a peevish frown and he took a step away from Rin, pointing a small, accusatory finger at Inuyasha. "Why else would you be here? And besides that," he added gloatingly, "we saw you! You were leaning over the edge, about to go in! Don't you dare deny it!"

"I was not!" Inuyasha hotly argued, ignoring the finger still pointed at him, Shippou's mulish expression making realize now more than ever, that no matter how terrified he might be, be could never let them think that he had even considered going to get Kagome. "If you must know, I came here because of _that_!" Inuyasha jabbed a finger to the right, in the direction of a tree, and all eyes swiveled towards it.

"That's the worst excuse ever, Inuyasha," Shippou muttered darkly under his breath, completely ignoring Rin as she stepped up behind him and placed a restraining hand on the young kitsune's shoulder after seeing Inuyasha stiffen. "I mean, why can't you just be man enough to admit – Uwah!" Shippou stopped, huge tears of pain welling up in his eyes, the top of his head throbbing. His little hands went up and covered the spot where Inuyasha had just boxed him. "Inuyasha! You're so mean!"

Rin's hand tightened and pulled him protectively towards her and farther away from Inuyasha, disliking the hostile glare that still burned in his eyes.

Shippou would never learn to hold his tongue, and Inuyasha would never learn to have more patience when it came to the young youkai.

"Shippou, I think he was pointing to that little bird, there," Rin said, direction his attention to the Shrike that had nestled itself amidst the branches once again in its smaller form and watching them with avid curiosity.

"That's right," Inuyasha confirmed gruffly, crossing his arms, keeping his focus on the Shrike for now so he wouldn't have to face them. He felt certain that Rin and Shippou would accept the story of the Shrike for now, but Sango had seen too much – she had seen his face - and even though she might not come right out and ask him about it, he still wasn't ready to meet the questions in her probing gaze.

Taking a step towards the tree where the Shrike was he explained, "The Blood Wasps killed the rest of its flock and wounded it. I followed it in here, and… then smelled smoke coming from the well. I was looking down the well, NOT –" he turned his head and looked meaningfully at Shippou "about to jump down it. Just came to LOOK!"

"SMOKE?" All three said in unison, now completely ignoring him to crowd around the well to peer down.

The Scythe Shrike finally determined that it was safe and left its perch in the tree, gliding down to land on Inuyasha's shoulder, twittering softly and nipping at his ear.

Shippou sniffed the air anxiously, his eyes unable to penetrate the murky well shaft.

"I don't smell anything, Inuyasha," he said after a long moment.

"Neither do I," said Rin.

"Nor do I," Sango added. "but that's not surprising since Rin and I are human." Sango turned towards Inuyasha and gave him a thoughtful look. "But Shippou should still be able to smell something, if it was coming from the well. Maybe it's because we were using smoke on the nests of the Blood Wasps to bring out the swarms so we could get rid of them, and that has desensitized Shippou's nose. Or maybe what you smelled, wasn't smoke from the well at all, but the smoke we were using."

"Maybe so," Inuyasha agreed doubtfully, although he too could no longer smell the smoke any more.

Somehow that didn't make him feel any better.

"So that's why you're here," Inuyasha murmured, changing the subject, and Sango nodded.

"Aye, I promised Kaede-sama that we would have the forest emptied of the Blood Wasps before the new moon," she responded with a somewhat apologetic smile. It was as if she were trying to apologize for their presence.

That somehow made Inuyasha feel like she knew he didn't want them to know that he'd been there, and he felt his face turn red. "I wish you would've told me sooner," he muttered darkly, "I could've helped, you know. It would've gone faster." These last words were spoken as he turned and moved huffily away, and again the three just stared, gaping at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

"I didn't think he liked to come in here," Rin whispered to Sango, confused.

Sango stared for a moment longer at Inuyasha before turning to look at her. Raising her finger to her lips, she shook her head in warning, and Rin nodded her understanding. Shippou just stared at the two girls with wide green eyes, confused.

"Wha!" he said, "I don't understand."

Before either of them could stop him, he rushed forward and tried to get clarification from Inuyasha, "So from now on, whenever we come in here, you'll be coming with us?"

"Heh, no," Inuyasha immediately snorted.

"What?" Shippou shrieked, outraged, "but you just said –"

"I said that I would've helped _this time_ because you promised old Kaede-baba that you would have the forest emptied before the new moon which is TOMORROW, idiot!" Inuyasha retorted derisively. "but it doesn't matter, because I ended up helping anyway, when I came in. There were several swarms that were after this little bird that I managed to take care of for you guys," he finished smugly.

"You're so selfish!" Shippou growled shaking his fist at Inuyasha, but Inuyasha just waved away the insult and turned to look over his shoulder at the girls.

"You ready to go?" he asked in a bored voice.

They nodded and he turned and started to walk away, ignoring Shippou who was mumbling under his breath. But then he stopped and looked straight down at the top of Shippou's blue-green bow. Shippou immediately stood stock still, wary of the hard, calculating look in Inuyasha's amber eyes.

"Hey, Shippou, make yourself useful," he said, bending over and grabbing him by the tail.

"Wh-what are you do-doing!" Shippou cried, waving his arms as Inuyasha yanked him from the ground. "Uwah! S-s-s-stop!" he stuttered, as Inuyasha turned him upside down and began to shake him. Shippou turned his head, his wide green eyes imploring Rin for assistance.

"Inuyasha!" Rin cried in consternation, rushing forward to try and pull the young kitsune away from Inuyasha as toys began to fall from his pockets.

"Nope," Inuyasha said, easily evading her grasp, "not done yet."

It was like some kind of farcical ceremonial dance. The Shrike sat sedately on his shoulder laughing merrily, while Inuyasha shook the distressed Shippou who was screeching in a loud voice as he was swung in a large circle. They were both followed by the erratic movements of Rin as she wove in and out of the circle they made, her red hakama billowing around her legs as she tried to grab Shippou free. Tops, balls, leaves, dolls and Kagome's precious crayons fell from Shippou like a god dispensing prayers to Rin, the beseeching shrine maiden; until finally Inuyasha saw what he was looking for and he slowed down as acorns and mushrooms bounced to the ground. Thrusting Shippou into Rin's arms he reached down and scooped up a handful.

A triumphant smile on his face and ignoring the kitsune's dark looks, he said, "Thanks, Shippou,"

Reaching up, a few acorns and mushrooms held in the palm of his hand, Inuyasha fed the Shrike whose eyes lit with joy, and then he said over his shoulder, "Let's go."

"Just you wait, Inuyasha!" Shippou cried in a strangled voice. "When I'm bigger…"

"I know, I know…" Inuyasha said with a casual wave of his free hand without looking back. "You're going to kick my butt…"

"Yes I am!" Shippou gulped.

"Shippou," Rin soothed and then stopped as she heard a noise from behind her. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Inuyasha asked, turning to look at her.

"I thought I heard someone's… voice." Rin said in a distracted way, searching the trees for any movement. "That's funny. It couldn't be, but I really thought I heard..."

Inuyasha came to stand beside her, looking in the same direction. He stared intently into the jagged gap formed by the tree trunks, his eyes narrowing. Reaching up, he transferred the Shrike from his shoulder to Rin's and then handed her the acorns and mushrooms.

Then he reached down and picked up a stone. "What you heard was nothing but a wild boar," he said. Taking careful aim he chucked the stone and heard a resounding squeal of pain. "See?" he snorted with compressed lips.

"That's a boar?" Rin asked dubiously, feeding one of the mushrooms to the little Shrike, her brown eyes sliding over the darkened trees. "It… doesn't sound like a boar."

_Damn Sesshoumaru!_ Inuyasha thought to himself. It never failed. Always around this time when the moon was waning, he sent Jyaken to keep an eye on Rin for he knew about Inuyasha's "weakness". Inuyasha didn't need Jyaken's help to protect Rin and Sango, no matter what time of the month it was. And furthermore, if Jyaken was going to skulk around the woods spying on them like a wild animal, then Inuyasha was going to treat him like a wild animal!

Glancing over at Sango, he knew that she'd probably figured out that it was Jyaken as well, because there'd been no mistaking the little imp's whiny voice. But long ago, when they both realized they were being spied upon from time to time, they had decided to keep silent on the issue where Rin was concerned, for they knew how much esteem she still had for Inuyasha's half-brother.

She thought she was helping Sesshoumaru establish his goals of a dynasty by protecting the Shikon no Tama, for god's sake - had thought that ever since she'd come to stay with them, and no one had ever tried to take that notion away from her. But even so, he couldn't let her believe what she'd just heard, so he would convince her otherwise.

"I'm telling you, it was a boar!" Inuyasha reiterated impatiently, his eyes on Sango. "Can we go now?"

"Inuyasha's right. It was a boar. It's probably attracted by all the noise that Shippou-chan was making just now. We should probably go before he gets too interested in us, since Inuyasha made him cranky by hitting him with a rock," Sango agreed encouragingly. "Kirara!" she called, and then heard the roar of her cat from the forest as Kirara came bounding towards them.

"Hey, Inuyasha, your little bird! She's injured!" Rin exclaimed, as they turned and began walking the other way.

"She's not my bird," he corrected, looking at the happy face of the Shrike as she twittered away on Rin's shoulder, "and yes, I know." Then he looked back at Rin's face, trying not to sound too anxious, "but you can fix her, right?"

"Let's call her Tsuzume," Rin said after a moment, as she fed the chatty little bird a few more mushrooms and acorns, her head turned towards the bird so she didn't see Inuyasha's exasperated look

"Oy! You didn't answer my question!" he said with a peevish gesture, their voices fading as they walked farther away from the well.

"Of course I can! Kaede-bachan trained me, after all!" she replied teasingly as they left the clearing altogether.

From his spot where he'd been watching Inuyasha's party, Jyaken sat, knocked off his feet, his short, stubby legs outstretched in front of him, gingerly rubbing the knot that was beginning to form where Inuyasha had beamed him with the rock, his head swiveled around, his yellow eyes narrowed in annoyance as he stared at the tall slender figure standing behind him.

"Atsuji!" he hissed at the long haired, aqua-headed man, using his nintoujou staff to help him regain his footing. He never took his eyes off of the handsome young youkai dressed in a dark blue kimono and loose fitting dark blue hakama tucked into soft skin boots.

Atsuji wasn't paying any attention to the baldheaded, green little imp. He was too busy watching the retreating figures of Inuyasha, Sango, Shippou, Kirara and Rin, his thickly lashed, deep aquamarine eyes pinned admiringly to the red hakama of the young human priestess.

"Look!" Atsuji, pointed, shuffling his feet in a flurry of small steps, "they're leaving. Aren't you going to follow them, Jyaken-sama?"

"NO!" Jyaken barked sourly, tapping his staff on the ground smartly for emphasis. "You idiot! What are you doing here?" he demanded, moving towards Atsuji, who was still ignoring him.

Atsuji was younger brother to Mizuna, one of the daughters to a daiyoukai in southern Shikoku. Her father had been known to Inu no Taisho, Sesshoumaru-sama's father, and while, not as great in stature as Sesshoumaru-sama's father or Sesshoumaru-sama himself, Sesshoumaru-sama acknowledged that an alliance with his clan would help in building the dynasty of conquest he wished to achieve. Thus, several years ago, he had allowed himself to become betrothed to Mizuna. And with Mizuna came Atsuji.

From the very beginning, Jyaken had disliked Mizuna. She did not properly respect Sesshoumaru-sama. Not at all. She treated him like she owned him. She didn't seem to understand the great honor she was receiving by becoming his bride-to-be, Jyaken thought darkly. Mizuna was a possessive child; willful, ambitious and cunning. But she was also very beautiful with the same aqua colored hair and aquamarine colored eyes that her brother had.

Not that that counted with Sesshoumaru-sama. And whenever she would visit Sesshoumaru-sama, she would bring her younger brother, Atsuji with her. If it wasn't for the fact that that they looked alike, Jyaken would never believe that they came from the same family. Where Mizuna was calculating, Atsuji was open and honest. And Mizuna's willfulness only seemed to make Atsuji excessive eagerness to help whenever he was around all the more irritating to Jyaken. But Atsuji was dedicated to his sister. He loved her more than anyone else. Which begged the question: what was he doing here now?

"Did you not hear me?" Jyaken raised his staff and poked Atsuji sharply in the back with it, running out of patience with him.

"Ita!" Atsuji finally turned, giving his attention to Jyaken, who was looking up at him, his beak pulled down into a menacing frown. Atsuji's sea colored eyes widened innocently. "What?" he asked.

"Don't you 'what'" me, Atsuji," Jyaken retorted, "you followed me here, and you are responsible for my lump!" Jyaken pointed to his head, his mood deteriorating slightly as he did so. "If I hadn't caught you skulking about, Inuyasha would have never known that we were here!"

"Well, you weren't supposed to catch me though," Atsuji replied guiltily, shuffling his feet.

Jyaken blinked, his expression not lightening in the slightest.

"Who was she? Atsuji asked hopefully.

"Who was who?" Jyaken grunted blackly.

"The pretty girl," Atsuji sighed, "she had long black hair tied in a cord, with pale skin." Jyaken remained silent, so Atsuji tried again. "You know, the brave, young girl who was so cheerful and protective!" Atsuji paused. Jyaken's beak drifted lower into a deeper frown and still he said nothing. "I know you know who I'm talking about! You've been following her and watching her all night – the young miko in the red hakama!"

"I wasn't watching her!" Jyaken denied, a little fearfully. If Sesshoumaru-sama knew that he let Atsuji find out about Rin, his lordship just might kill him.

"Then what were you doing?" Atsuji wanted to know.

"What business is it of yours, Atsuji, eh?" Jyaken asked with narrowed eyes. "Did your sister send you here?"

Atsuji's face flushed a deep red. "Well, she hates it that Sesshoumaru-sama denies her visits –"

"He hardly ever denies her anything!" Jyaken grumbled turning away from Atsuji thumping nintoujou on the ground as he walked, "why should she complain if he forbids her a visit one or two nights a month?"

"Because it's always the same nights," Atsuji said plaintively, "she thinks he's hiding something."

Jyaken whipped around at that. "You tell your sister that she has no right to test the trust of Sesshoumaru-sama! Foolish girl!" he spat whipping back around and stomping away.

"Where are you going?" Atsuji called.

"I'm returning to Sesshoumaru-sama, you fool!" Jyaken retorted angrily, "to tell him about you and your sister. I think he has a right to know what tricks you've been up to," and then in a quieter voice, "I just hope he doesn't kill me for it."

He walked a few more steps and when he realized that Atsuji hadn't moved, he turned back around and said, "Go home, Atsuji!"

"In a while," he said, waving the imp away, "I want to wait and see if the miko comes back this way again. She was very pretty. I think she might since there are a few more nests in the forest that she and her friends seemed interested in."

Jyaken's face fell into a deep frown at that, but there was little he could do to make the bothersome young youkai go home.

"She was only human," Jyaken muttered discouragingly.

"I know," Atsuji replied, positively glowing, and Jyaken groaned inwardly.

The boy was completely unnatural. _I only hope Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't kill me when I tell him_, he thought again, with a weary sigh.

**WARNING: SPOILER BELOW THE LINE:**

Pairings are all traditional no big surprises:

Inuyasha/Kagome

Sesshoumaru/Rin

Sango/Miroku

16


	2. 02 Fire at the Well

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Fire at the Well**

Kagome is grappling with issues of her present day life when the Well House catches fire, unleashing some uncomfortable emotions she thought she'd left behind. Has she truly forgotten Inuyasha?

Chapter Two

Wasn't this walkway supposed to be covered?

Outside the darkened panes of her bedroom window, a thunderstorm raged, but Kagome barely noticed. She was completely absorbed in what she was doing. Pushing a long strand of ebony hair behind her ear, she looked down, a small crinkle forming between her brows as she studied what were supposed to be the final set of proofs for renovating the three hundred and fifty year old Suketsune shrine.

_Hmm_, she ruminated, pulling on the fullness of her upper lip with her teeth. It definitely seemed like it should be covered. Absently she reached for a stack of preliminary drafts placed at the corner of her desk. Thumbing through it, she diligently searched for the rough sketches she'd made when she'd visited the shrine and talked with the attending miko, Yukino Suketsune.

Yukino. What an enigmatic girl.

Kagome paused in her search as she thought about the seventeen year miko. From the moment she'd set eyes on her fiery red hair bright, and inquisitive, blue eyes, Kagome had liked her immensely. Yukino had seemed so enthusiastic and cheerful as she moved about the shrine doing her chores and speaking with the patrons that it had brought a smile to Kagome's face just watching her.

But the moment Hojo who was Suketsune Renovation Project leader had introduced her to Kagome, all that brightness and energy had seemed to whither right before Kagome's mystified eyes and it never returned – at least not for her benefit, anyway.

_What did I do to make Yukino behave in such a way?_? she idly wondered not for the first time. Pausing in her search, she stared blankly at the sketches clutched loosely between her fingers and sighed. It never sat well with her when she thought she might be the cause of someone else's discomfort. But no matter how much she tried, she thought, shaking her head a little, she couldn't figure out what she'd done.

At first she'd thought perhaps it was just because Yukino was having trouble accepting the idea of all the renovations they were making to her family's shrine – that she wasn't the kind of person that adapted well to change. But that wasn't it at all.

As long as Kagome was with Hojo, the enthusiasm that Kagome had witnessed that very first day would be out in full force. But whenever Hojo left which he often had to do, since he had many other pressing projects that required his attention and it was just her and Yukino; then the young miko would again become as still and watchful as the stone lion _shishi_ that guarded the entrance to the shrine.

No matter how much Kagome smiled or how polite she was, she just couldn't seem to breach that chiseled cold mask of Yukino's countenance.

And during the weeks of planning and work she'd put in on the Shrine Project, this had become something of a problem for Kagome. Even though all renovations were designated and approved by the head priest of the shrine, Shirogane Suketsune, Kagome still needed Yukino, because Suketsune-sama, who seemed very charming on the phone, and who had insisted he be called Shirogane, was always mysteriously absent on the days he said he would meet her to go over any changes made to the proofs.

So it always came down to Yukino who carried the proofs to her brother and reluctantly relayed any changes her brother had left for Kagome. And if Kagome had any questions, they were usually met with suspicious stares and a small lift of her shoulders before Yukino turned on her heel and stomped away. Any useful information pried out Yukino usually had to be done in the presence of Hojo, which is why Kagome was almost certain Yukino had said that Suketsune-sama – er, _Shirogane_ - had requested that they modify the walkway making it covered from the Sanctuary to the Kangensai Stage.

But still, the best way to know for certain was to locate her sketches.

Kagome knew that she would have made a note of it there. Halfway through her stack though, Kagome's phone rang and she abandoned her search before she could find her drawings.

"You're still up, I see." Hojo's familiarly upbeat voice greeted her, along with static hiss as the line popped and crackled in response to the spectacular surges of light arcing through the nighttime sky. "You really should be in bed by now."

Kagome laughed a little at that. "I was – you woke me up," she teased accusingly.

"Is that so? Well, then, can I come over and join you?" Hojo's voice resonated deeply, full of a playfulness lacking in any true seduction. All the same it made Kagome smile.

"I dunno, Hojo," Kagome murmured in feigned uncertainty, "you _and _the storm combined? I don't think my heart could stand all the excitement."

"The weak heart, again, eh?" Hojo sighed regretfully.

"Mmhmm. I think it's safer not to chance it," she whispered conspiratorially.

There was a long drawn out sigh and Hojo replied tongue in cheek, "I guess that's just one more _rain _check for a closer viewing of my, er, finer points. …"

"I guess…so." Kagome's playful feeling faded, becoming shadowed with guilt and she had to force a laugh even though she knew Hojo was only teasing.

It was true, what Hojo said.

In the past ten years, Kagome had always found some excuse to keep their relationship from progressing on a more intimate level - even now at the age of twenty-five, it was still the same, and she wasn't in any hurry to examine her reasons for keeping it that way either.

"Ah well " Hojo must have sensed Kagome's unease, for he brusquely changed the topic. "- The real reason I called was to see how things were going. So… how are things going?" he asked with a laugh in his voice.

"Mmm…. - almost done," Kagome replied, her eyes trailing to the stack of paper poised at the edge of her desk. "I'm just doing some last minute checking – Hey, Hojo, the eastern walkway - isn't it supposed to be covered?"

She propped the phone between her shoulder and ear and it almost came squirting out to hit the floor when she jerked in fright as an instantaneous boom of thunder accompanied an intense slash of light near her bedroom window.

_Hiyah! That one was awfully close,_ she thought, slowly starting to search her stack of papers again. "I-I thought Yukino Suketsune specifically stated that they wanted that walkway covered when we went out there." She somehow managed to pull her concentration together enough despite the turbulent weather and the sudden chill that skittered across the back of her neck.

"She did," Hojo agreed, "but don't you remember? Shirogane decided that the trees form a natural canopy, and since the Kangensai Stage is used in the spring, he said it would be best to leave it uncovered so the people traveling along the path would be able to enjoy the color and fragrance of the cherry blossoms. – I know I told you that. He made that change in my last meeting with him. "

Kagome stopped rummaging through her pile, a slightly annoyed expression flitting through her eyes.

"He did?" she asked faintly, the thumb of her left hand still marking her place in the stack. "I don't remember that. Are you sure…?"

_Of course maybe if the peculiarly preoccupied priest had met with me as well, instead of continually breaking our appointments and avoiding me like the plague, I might have known that_, she thought perversely, and then stifled the thought as completely inappropriate.

Kagome heard Hojo sigh again. "You're worrying too much over the little things, Kagome."

Kagome pulled her hand back from her draft stack then and grasped the phone with it, lifting her head to stare blindly at the rain pelting the window. "Sorry," she mumbled self-consciously, "I know how closely the Chairmen of the firm are watching this as an influential project for you. I just want it to go well."

"Don't be sorry, Kagome – one of the reasons why I specifically asked Matsuda-san to assign you to do the proofing is because I know just how detailed and meticulous you can be –"

Kagome was a little dismayed by his comment. She knew that he'd meant it to sound like a compliment, but it somehow made her feel as if he was accusing her of being overly critical.

" – and, of course, the other reason is because when we're working on the same projects, I get to see more of you. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I think it works just the opposite. Wouldn't you agree?"

He paused as if waiting for her to acknowledge his statement, but Kagome wasn't sure what to say.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy spending time with Hojo. Because she did. But often times she was afraid to tell him how she felt, afraid that he would read more into her words than she wanted him to. The silence stretched on a little uncomfortably and Kagome grimaced, glad that he wasn't there to see her squirm in her chair.

Finally he gave up waiting and continued in predictably upbeat Hojo-like fashion, "- I know everything will go well tomorrow evening when we go over the final proofs for the last time with Shirogane and then construction will finally start. Overall I think he will be very pleased with the final design details – and if he isn't – it's not the end of the world; we'll just work on it some more."

"But, Hojo, Matsuda-san is expecting you to wrap up this project as soon as possible," Kagome pointed out. "That's why we can't afford any mistakes."

"It's all right, Kagome. It's important to do a good job, but, – well let's just say that not all my hopes are pinned on this project like they were a few weeks ago."

Kagome blinked at the unconcern in his words. J_ust what exactly did he mean?_ she wondered.

"But what about your promotion? It's all you've been talking about this past year," she observed aloud. "How could it all of a sudden not matter any more?"

"Tomorrow night after our dinner with Suketsune-sama, there are some things I want to talk to you about," was all he said.

She didn't know why; maybe it was the way that he said it, or maybe it was just the turbulent weather that added an ominous portent to his words, but Kagome's stomach did a flip and then tightened in dread.

"You sound so… serious, all of a sudden." Nervously, she folded and unfolded the corner of an old draft page, ear-marking it as she strove to keep her tone light.

"No, Kagome," Hojo contradicted, "I've been serious for a long time. It's just that I haven't been in a position to do anything about it until now." Kagome hands went ice cold. "But I don't want to say any more about it tonight – especially not over the phone, so I'll save the rest of this conversation for tomorrow evening."

She wanted to protest, but her voice seemed to be frozen in her throat and by the time she was able to squeeze any words past her lips, Hojo was already telling her goodbye.

Horrified, Kagome sat rooted to the spot, the phone still pressed against her ear, a buzzing sound filling her head. It took a moment for her to realize that it was the sound of a dial tone.

_He hung up_, she thought numbly, but still she didn't move, too busy contemplating how she was going to handle Hojo's suddenly determined intentions.

Her worries were sheared away the next instant when the storm unleashing its fury beyond her window finally invaded the room. The phone line suddenly went dead as a burst of bright light blinded her before sending her plunging into darkness when the power went out. Its roar of fury vibrated the glass in her window, and as the shockwave died away, her heart beat just a little faster, adrenaline surging through her veins from the surprise of it all.

"Did you hear that, Nee-chan?"

Kagome yelped as her nineteen year old brother's voice cut through the stygian pitch. She turned her head in his direction and as another flash of purplish white light illuminated the room, she briefly saw him standing in her doorway, his wide brown eyes trained toward her window. "That one sounded like it actually hit something," Souta observed warily.

"I know," Kagome agreed a little breathlessly, her heartbeat finally beginning to slow a little. "It shook the glass in my window," she told him, getting up from her chair and moving closer to the windowpane to squint out into the darkness.

It was well after midnight, and there shouldn't be any light, but when she turned her head to the left, she could see an orange red glow. "Oh my god," she gasped, her heart revving back up in alarm, "It's the Well House! The Well House is on fire!"

Whipping around, she sprinted madly for the door, spurred on by the panic surging up inside of her. Together, she and her brother pounded down the stairs, stopping abruptly to keep from colliding with their grandfather who moved between them and the front door.

"Jii-chan, the Well House is on fire!" Kagome almost yelled, feeling a little surprised when the calm demeanor of his face failed to change.

She made to move around both Souta and her grandfather but she was stopped when his gnarled fingers gently latched onto her arm.

"What do you think you can do in an electrical storm, Kagome?" Jii-chan asked, peering up at her. "You go out there, and you'll make an even better lightning rod than the roof of the Well House."

"We – we should at least call the fire department!" she fervidly contended.

"I tried, but the phone line is dead." Jii-chan remained unperturbed, although his eyes did widen a bit at how agitated Kagome seemed to be getting.

"Well, well – " Kagome stuttered, clenching her hands together and thinking furiously. "I know! Use my cell phone!" She rushed to get her purse from the side table next to the door, her socks skidding on the shiny, waxed, wooden floor.

"Kagome," Jii-chan called to her restrainedly.

She tore through the contents of her purse in determination, and didn't heed his call the first time. However, at the sound of her name the third time, she finally lifted her eyes and saw the odd look her grandfather was giving her. It made her feel as if she had grown an extra head.

But when he finally spoke, his words didn't match the look, for all he said was, "I doubt that a fireman could work any faster on that fire than the heavy rain outside."

"But Jii-chan!" Kagome stammered in objection, "It's… it's… the W_ell House!_"

Kagome realized from her grandfather's sharp look that he knew exactly what it was, and exactly what it meant to Kagome, even though in the last ten years she had refused to acknowledge its importance to not only herself but everyone else as well.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned with the Well House, Kagome?" he demanded, "You haven't even given it a second glance, since – " he abruptly changed the course of his words when he saw Kagome's face become dangerously stiff, "The importance of the Well House's history has never impressed you before – even when the old roof almost caved in because it needed a new one."

"But that was different," Kagome contradicted, silently adding that a caved in roof was easier to fix than a Well House that was completely destroyed by fire – not that that couldn't be repaired as well, but what if the fire somehow affected the portal inside the Well, causing it to cease functioning? Kagome stopped her thoughts, mentally slapping herself for even thinking about it.

She had suppressed all thoughts about the Well House and anything connected to it a long time ago, and she wasn't going to start thinking about it now just because of a fire, she told herself firmly.

"How was it different?" Jii-chan wanted to know, his gaze swerving towards Souta whose head was pivoting back and forth between his sister and his grandfather, listening to their conversation with interest. "Don't you have an exam you need to be studying for?" Jii-chan asked, addressing him.

Souta shrugged his shoulders, an insouciant grin on his face, "Can't study in the dark."

Jii-chan grunted and turned towards the side table, pulling open one of the drawers.

"Here you go," the old man said, swiveling back around and holding out his hand. "Instant light." He reached out and molded Souta's fingers around the flashlight when Kagome's brother stared dumbly down at it. "You see this switch here," he tutored, "you turn it on like this- " there was a small _fwick _and the flashlight came on. "There! Now you can go study! You won't get into med school if you don't study."

"But you said this afternoon that I study too much!" Souta protested loudly. "In fact, you're _always_ telling me that I study too much – that I stay cooped up in my room and don't get out enough!"

Jii-chan waved away his words like they were an irritating gnat, "That was this afternoon, and this is now. And now is a good time for you to study so that tomorrow I can again point out to you what a nice afternoon it is, and you can leave off the studying to go to the park and try to find some nice girl without having to feel guilty about not studying… having already done it tonight. And one day, when there is a bright-eyed young lady who attaches herself to you, you will truly appreciate the wit and wisdom of your Jii-chan and you will say, 'Jii-chan, you were so right!' Seeing his grandson roll his eyes, he fluttered his fingers at Souta and said, "Now go!"

Souta sighed, his eyes flickering over to Kagome whose face was entirely blank.

"You're no fun at all, Jii-chan." he mumbled, and dragging his feet with numbing slowness, he climbed the stairs back to his room.

Jii-chan remained silent, his attention focused on Kagome's brother and his snail-like pace up the stairs, while Kagome peeked through the curtains of the window next to the door, her eyes trained in the direction of the well house.

The wind was blowing sheets of water against the glass panes, blurring the view she had, so she couldn't tell if the fire had spread or not. But it still stood out, a vivid patch of orange against the black backdrop of the night and Kagome's fingers convulsively tightened around the thick fabric of the curtains.

"It's late, Kagome," she heard her grandfather tell her, and she turned to look over her shoulder to see him staring solemnly at her. "There's nothing to do be done for the Well House right now. Let the rain quell the fire and tomorrow we will go and see how much damage is done."

Kagome's eyes were wide and at that moment, they expressed more than she was aware of, more of what her grandfather would have expected to see when she had first returned from the feudal age.

_She is still lost_, he thought in dismay. _Even after all this time, she has yet to find where she truly belongs_.

His eyes softened with affection for his only granddaughter. Stepping closer to her he reached out, his withered hand briefly cupping her cheek with its warmth before he patted her and let go. "Trust this old man," he told her. "That Well House has weathered five centuries of history. A little fire can't destroy that. Now why don't you go to bed," he advised, "you look tired. You've been working even harder than Souta, burying yourself under a mountain of paper until all that remains is the top of your head. There's more to life than that, Kagome."

"I know that, Jii-chan," she assured him with a faint smile.

"Mmm," Jii-chan ruminated, his eyes pensive. "I want to see my granddaughter smile; I mean really smile, and not just here,." He tweaked the corner of her mouth with his thumb and forefinger. "but here as well." His hand drifted away, his index finger pointing to the middle of her chest and Kagome rested a tentative hand over her heart, feeling slightly appalled.

She'd never given Jii-chan any reason to think that she wasn't happy. So why would he think that she wasn't?

_Maybe because deep down, you're not._

Where had _that _come from, she thought uneasily.

"My heart is smiling, Jii-chan," she mumbled, trying to keep the tightness she was currently experiencing around that unpredictable organ from creeping into her voice. "Why wouldn't it be smiling?" she asked after a moment, the question aimed more at herself than at him. "I'm here with you, and Mama, and Souta. I have a good job, with a secure future, and Hojo – " she stopped then, remembering the dread she had felt at Hojo's serious sounding remarks.

"Yes," Jii-chan agreed with a nod, "Hojo; the boy who brings you comfort, but not happiness." Jii-chan watched Kagome's eyes dilate in surprise and he sighed. She had buried the truth just a deeply as she buried herself in her paperwork. It wasn't any wonder that he had failed to see it sooner.

"Jii-chan -" Kagome began, her dismay at her grandfather's words growing with every passing second.

"Ojii-chan," Kagome's mother's soft voice called from the kitchen, interrupting them. "-Ojii-chan where did you put the candles?"

"Eh?" Kagome's grandfather turned his head in his daughter's direction, looking confused. "What candles?"

"The emergency candles I asked you to put away – where are they?" She wanted to know, coming farther into the room, her eyes flickering in concern over her daughter's bemused expression.

"Mama," Jii-chan began, "you never gave me any candles."

"Yes I did," Mama objected in a patient way. Kagome watched her mother hook her hand around his arm, gently pulling him towards the kitchen and away from Kagome. "You just don't remember. But I need you to remember because I need them. I wanted to finish sewing the button back on to Souta's school jacket before I go to bed."

"Can't you use a flashlight instead?" Kagome's grandfather's voice grumbled hollowly as he disappeared into the kitchen with her mother.

"I can't seem to find that either," her mother replied as Kagome turned to climb the stairs back to her room.

"Oh… well, that's probably because I gave it to Souta." Kagome smiled as she heard Jii-chan suddenly recall.

"Well then, yes, Ojii-chan, I need the candles," Mama replied before Kagome reached the top of the stairs and their conversation faded out altogether.

Did she really need the candles? Kagome absently wondered to herself as she slowly made her way down the hall. Or had the candles been a way to try and save Kagome from Jii-chan's probing remarks. Kagome hoped it was the former reason, because the latter suggested that Kagome's mother was in agreement with her grandfather about the state of her daughter's heart.

Kagome's brows drew together over her eyes in a rebellious frown.

_There is nothing wrong with my heart,_ she assured herself fiercely.

The steady rhythm of her life echoed its beat; a reassuring tempo that she found soothing and one that caused her little anxiety.

_But is that what you really want? Your heart used to race; soaring in your chest so that you thought it would carry you away._

"Yes," she whispered unable to keep just a thread of bitterness from creeping into her voice, "and then sometimes it seemed as if its weight would crush me entirely…."

She could feel memories trembling on the edge of her consciousness; sounds and images that had been locked away; not to be taken out and examined under any circumstances because they were a threat to that steady rhythm that she had worked so hard to attain.

Slowly passing through her doorway, Kagome shut her door and crept onto her bed where she lay on her stomach, staring into the darkness, listening to the hiss of the rain. Occasionally the lightning would brighten the room, flooding her consciousness as if it were trying to illuminate those things that she had hidden in the dark recesses of her mind for so long.

She hid her face in her pillow, squeezing her eyes shut. _The past was past! The future was where her dreams should lie_. How many times had she told herself this to keep that mental box of memories closed?

_Just enough times to ensure that it stay closed,_ came the answer

It was a successful ploy that worked - except for when she was asleep.

That was the only time that she had no control over her thoughts; the only time when images of a lone figure with long flowing hair the color of moonlight could rise like a phantom to drift in silence through her dreams; disappearing with the morning sun, back into the shadows of that forbidden past.

"Look to the future, Kagome," she whispered tightly to herself.

She should be working on those shrine plans, she thought with determination. Maybe she could beg Souta for the flashlight for just a short time.

Putting her hands against her mattress, she pushed herself up and off of the bed and opened her door. Padding down the hallway she called out to her brother and then opened his door. He was lying on the bed, his arms tucked beneath his head, staring at the ceiling.

"You're not studying," she observed a little dumbfounded and he swiveled his head to look at her.

"Unh-uh," he murmured, his eyes thoughtful as they rested on her face.

"If Jii-chan could see you now, he would fall on his ear," she smiled a little, coming further into his room. "I'll admit I'm a little surprised as well," she observed, gesturing to his vacant desk chair. "It's so unlike you…. Don't you have a big exam coming up?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "but I'm all studied out." He sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "I've been re-reading my notes since early this afternoon, so I think I'm ready."

"Then you won't mind if I borrow the flashlight?"

As she phrased the question she sidled over to his desk .

"It's all yours," he replied laconically, "since, I'm not in the mood to study anyway."

Kagome picked up the flashlight, then looked over her shoulder at her brother, her eyebrow soaring at his statement.

"Are you feeling all right?" she asked half-teasingly, giving him a curious look. "I think the lightning has affected your cerebral circuits – you're not acting like yourself tonight."

"I might say the same thing about you," he responded with more than just a hint of shrewdness. Suddenly intent, he leaned forward his hands planted on either side of his legs, his brown eyes glued to his sister's face, as he observed, "Tonight was the first time I've seen you get so upset about the Bone Eater's Well. I was beginning to think you didn't care anymore. Nee-chan, aren't you ever going to go back?"

There it was.

No one had ever asked her. And she had never had to say it, aloud. But she could finally lay it to rest here and now.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome gave her brother a long look.

"I stopped thinking about returning a long time ago," she told him steadily.

"And Inuyasha?" Souta wanted to know incredulously, "you don't care about what happens to him? What he's doing on the other side?"

Kagome's throat closed up at Inuyasha's name. Was the wall she erected around her past so frail that it could be toppled just by his name alone? Her heart was pounding out of control, and she took another deep breath to try and regulate it.

Kagome looked down at the flashlight gripped tightly between her fingers, noticing her knuckles had turned white and she made herself relax her grip. "I stopped thinking about Inuyasha a long time ago too." She replied in a wooden voice.

That's not what he'd asked, and he opened his mouth to say as much, but after a look at his sister's forlorn expression, he decided against it. Instead he swiveled his legs back around onto his bed and flopped back onto his pillow, his gaze going back to the ceiling.

"'Shame really," he murmured, "he was such a great guy – for a dog that is."

Kagome neither agreed nor disagreed, but hastened to make her escape thorough his bedroom door.

"I'll bring this back when I'm done with it," she told him waving the flashlight at him, completely sidestepping his comment altogether.

"No rush," he replied offhandedly as she disappeared from his room.

After she was gone he turned his head to look at the open doorway, his face losing its careless expression.

"Poor Nee-chan," he murmured empathetically, "She's so miserable and she doesn't even realize it."

29


	3. 03: Destati: The Awakening

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Destati: The Awakening**

An ancient evil finds a new host and takes a miko as hostage, while Kagome meets a mysterious priest who reminds her so much of the silver-headed man on the other side of the well - the man she finally realizes, she wishes she could be with more than anything

Chapter Three

The sun was setting low on the horizon as Yukino Suketsune shifted the backpack containing her school books, and she passed beneath the red and black arch of the torii that led to her family's shrine. Her attention never strayed to the pillars that signified the end of the secular world and the beginning of the spiritual one. Instead they were drawn to the darkened windows of her home and her footsteps briefly slowed as she heaved a morose sigh. She would have liked to have gone inside the house, but she continued onward toward the main sanctuary of the shrine itself. The windows here were dark as well, and her spirits lowered even more.

So Shirogane had already left for his dinner meeting with Kagome and Hojo-san.

But what had she'd expected, she asked herself a trifle scornfully.

That all of her brooding, a pouting would, in the end, make him change his mind?

She should have known from the very beginning that she would be unable to talk her beloved step-brother out of it. Hadn't she learned from years of experience that once Shirogane got an idea into his head, nothing anyone could say or do would dislodge it? And it wasn't as if she hadn't tried.

Because she had.

She had argued with him until she was blue in the face when she'd found out that he'd hired the Matsuda Architectural firm to renovate their shrine just so he could meet Kagome Higurashi.

"Why all of a sudden _now_?" she miserably recalled asking.

"Because it's time for a change," he'd stated calmly that day as he sipped his morning tea, his long, elegant fingers idly turning the tea cup in his hands.

"But you can't!" she'd informed him, her fingers tightening into fists around the napkin in her lap beneath the table. "It's not right! You should stay as far away from her as possible!" Yukino had declared, bright red strands of hair swaying into her eyes as she pounded the table emphatically.

At her small explosion of temper Shirogane had looked up, giving her a disapproving look, the morning light coming through the kitchen window catching in his amber eyes and turning them to gold.

"Why?" he'd asked in a reasonable voice that mirrored none of the censure on his countenance, and that had only made Yukino angrier. His patient tolerance of her outburst felt too much like that of a parent trying to pacify a child.

"You know perfectly well why, Shiro," she had ground out, "or have you forgotten why your family shrine was built in the first place?"

"No, Yukino," Shirogane had sighed wearily, "I have not forgotten why _our_ shrine was built." He'd gotten up from his chair then and deposited his dishes in the sink, quickly washing them. "I've admired her for a long time, you know – she attended the same University as I. But I never felt it was the right time to approach her. -- I want to know more of what she's like as a person. Haven't you, yourself, ever wondered what she's like?" he'd wanted to know softly, turning to throw a glance at her over his shoulder, the long silver tendrils of hair hanging down his forehead casting shadows into his eyes, making them inscrutable. "Haven't you ever wanted to know someone who has lived in both the past and present? To talk with the one who is responsible for the Suketsune's existence?"

Yukino had remained silent until his last question, but then she had flared up at him. "That girl is not responsible for your family's existence! She is no relation to you whatsoever!"

"You're wrong, Yukino," Shirogane had firmly disagreed. "She may not be related to us by blood, but she has everything to do with our existence. Frankly, I don't understand this animosity that you have towards her."

"I don't harbor any animosity towards her," Yukino had retorted, trying to rein in her temper to prove what she was saying, "only your desire to meet her. It dishonors the woman who brought life to your family!"

"If Kagome had not crossed back in time, then there wouldn't have been a woman to give life to _our_ family, Yukino," he had pointed out, a little exasperated by his baby sister's insistence, although he tried not to show it.

He strolled over to stand by her chair and took her chin softly between his fingers, his touch warming her skin until it tingled. "Don't ever forget you're a part of this family too." He told her affectionately, lightly squeezing her chin before releasing it. The warmth was completely doused at his next words however. "And meeting Kagome does not dishonor our family. On the contrary, it is an honor for us to have the opportunity to meet her."

Yukino had seen the stubborn set of her brother's jaw and the way his eyes dismissively dropped away when she opened her mouth to continue to argue with him, and she knew that no matter what she had said, he was not going to relent in his decision.

It had made her uneasy. She'd realized then that to him this was more than just a meeting; he was planning something more, something that he'd no intention of telling her about. She had risen to her feet then to stare defiantly at his back, the napkin still clenched in her right hand by her side.

She barely came up to his shoulder, another disadvantage for her – why should he treat her opinions as those of an adult if in his mind she still just ranked as a kid?

"Go and meet her if you like," she tightly told the long, thick braid trailing down to his waist, "but I refuse to have anything to do with her!"

Shirogane had slowly turned, tucking his hands into the pocket of his slacks in a casual pose that had made her want to hit him.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," he'd informed her, looking down into her wild blue eyes, still seemingly unaffected by her temper. "I specifically requested that she be the one to do the sketches since she is known to be one of the best in her field. She will be here tomorrow. I have to go to Kamakura to purchase some new things for the inner sanctuary, so I won't be here to escort her around and show her what changes I want made. I'm counting on you to do that for me, Yuki."

Yukino remembered how she'd begun to shake then, from the sheer desire of wanting to throw herself at him and pummel him in the chest, just to elicit some kind of emotion on his face other than the calm mask he had refused to abandon.

She'd refrained however, instead choosing to continue her tirade.

"If you're not going to be here to meet her, then why the heck are you even having her come here? " she'd railed in frustration, tearing at the cloth napkin still clutched between her fingers.

"I will meet her when I come back from Kamakura," he had assured her mildly. His eyes had slid to her hands where she was forcefully strangling her napkin, but still, he remained cool and composed.

"Then you can just wait until you come back from Kamakura to start the process," Yukino had, finally throwing her victimized napkin on the table and turning away from him, saying, "I told you – I want no part in this!"

Shirogane had seized her by the shoulder then to keep her from leaving the room as she had anticipated.

"You _will _be a part of this, Yuki" he'd ordered her sternly for the first time, the mask slipping, finally showing his displeasure, his amber eyes glinting coldly at her and his mouth pulled into a tight line.

"For too long this family has harbored anger and resentment against a great miko that helped to defeat the power of the Shikon no Tama. It's time to put all that aside."

"You seem to conveniently forget, onii-chan, that that 'miko', as you call her, is also one of the ones that is responsible for the horrible burden that your family bears,-" his fingers had tightened on her shoulder and she'd hastily amended her words "_our family_ bears - the burden with which I am now charged with carrying!"

"It's a burden that I will not have you carry anymore, Yuki," he'd informed quietly, his beautiful eyes becoming melancholy. "It was a burden that was never meant to be yours in the first place."

As the echo of his words rang through her mind, Yukino cringed anew, remembering the look of guilt and remorse on Shirogane's face. Her words had been responsible for that look, and if she could take them back she would. She'd spoken out jealousy, not wanting him to pursue Kagome, but unfortunately she did carry the burden of the family's secret. And it terrified her: what lay hidden within the innermost chamber of their family shrine, and she knew that Shiro blamed himself for her fear.

Ever since their parent's had passed away, he'd always said, "I'll protect you.", and in more ways than one, she'd come to depend on that.

Shiro had always been there for her. He had done everything in his power to teach her the purification rites that were necessary for the inner sanctuary, showing her how to use the haraigushi wand, and helping her to learn the prayers that were necessary for maintaining the barrier inside the inner sanctuary.

And he always tried to be there when she performed the rites too because he knew how strong the evil aura, the youki, could get, and how the whispers called to those who would listen. By the time the ritual was complete, she was always left shaken and terrified. And for some reason, he thought this was because she was afraid that he would not be strong enough to protect her from those that sought the power of the secret that the Suketsune's had guarded so closely for five hundred years, should they come, drawn by the whispers that filled the inner shrine. But that was not it at all.

It was the secret itself that Yukino feared, knowing that her powers as a miko were not strong enough to hold back the youki if other dark forces were to reach out and touch it. Should the youki be exposed to even more energy, then she would not be able to stop the seed of evil they guarded from blooming once again.

But it was too late to take her words back now. The damage had been done, and their conversation had ended abruptly after that, with Shiro telling her in a quiet but determined way that, like it or not, Kagome was coming.

Yukino had avoided her brother for the rest of the day after that, simply as a means to continue silently protesting her brother's stubborn decision, but it hadn't changed anything. He'd gone to Kamakura the next morning and Yukino had shown Kagome around the shrine's compound. He'd only been gone that one day, but, for some reason, even after that, he'd always made an excuse to be absent during the times when he knew that Kagome was coming to see the shrine.

At first, Yukino had been perplexed. After all, hadn't this entire project been undertaken with the sole purpose of meeting his precious Kagome? But then, as the changes in the proofs began to shape up, Shirogane idly mentioned making some changes in their home as well, and with a sinking heart, Yukino had finally begun to put it all together.

Shirogane didn't want to meet Kagome until the plans were finished because he was preparing the shrine for her: he wanted Kagome to become the miko that would guard their family's secret. He was planning to make Kagome, the woman who could purify the Shikon no Tama, his wife.

At first she hadn't wanted to believe it. After their parents had died and as she'd gotten older, she'd decided she wanted to be the one to occupy that place in Shirogane's life. But the more she thought about it, the more she'd realized the reality of what was happening couldn't be denied.

Although he'd done every thing he could to teach Yukino, she'd hardly had the proper training as a miko. Even her own mother had not been very successful at filling that position. Shirogane's real mother had been the true miko of the Suketsune shrine and when she had passed away, Shiro's father had been bereft.

The temple had fallen into disrepair for seven years, and then when Mr. Suketsune seemed to regain his purpose in life, he married Yukino's mother. Yukino had only been seven at the time; Shirogane seventeen. Yukino's mother had had no formal training as a miko either, but she'd dutifully taken over the chores as miko. It had been extraordinarily hard on her. Those seven long years of neglect seemed to have allowed the youki around the family's secret to grow, and Yukino watched a change begin to take place in her mother as she'd tried to purify the ever present youki.

She became withdrawn and easily startled, as if she was afraid someone was constantly watching her. Then, when Yukino turned twelve, both her mother and Shirogane's father were killed in a car accident returning home from a much needed vacation. It had been devastating.

From that moment on, Shiro had taken on the role of sibling, parent and priest; teasing her, protecting her, guiding her and loving her -- just not with the love that Yukino now craved the most.

But she'd been able to be content, for they were always together; and that had been enough, because in her naiveté, she'd thought they would continue that way. Just the two of them. At least that was the way she'd wanted it, she thought miserably. And she knew that as long as he was there, watching over her, supporting her, she could do it. She could be the miko for the shrine. But he must have no faith in her skills, for he was making other plans.

Plans that included Kagome Higurashi, Yukino mused moodily as she paused to insert the key into the shrine door – the woman whom Shirogane was on his way to have a dinner with this very minute. And then another unpleasant thought hit her making her feel even worse. Since Shirogane was gone, that meant Yukino would have to perform her purification ritual alone and at night too; something that always felt left her feeling even more rattled and nervous than usual.

Stifling a moan, she turned the knob, pausing when a low rough voice called out from behind her, a chill creeping up her spine when she recognized it.

"Hello, Sweet Yukino. I've been waiting for you to come home."

Yukino's head jerked around, her light blue eyes filling with fear when she saw the tall figure of a man with dark hair emerge from the side of the shrine along with another man with lighter hair.

"L-lokki," she breathed, a horrible coldness filtering through her veins, the same coldness that filled her every time she saw him on her way to and from school.

He and his gang of degenerate friends hung out near her campus and usually shouted insults and suggestive comments to any and all of the students that they could get a rise out of. They considered it a supreme form of entertainment, whereas Yukino and her friends had just considered it lame.

One of her friends had said as much within earshot of Lokki once, and since that time, he had made it a point of singling her and her friends out. And then one rainy afternoon, when she had been without her friends, he'd caught her alone.

Up until that day, he'd been just a nuisance, but that afternoon when he'd actually gotten close to her, she'd become dizzy, overwhelmed by a sense of inner darkness that dwelled within his eyes. He'd actually tried to embrace her, but she'd screamed, and pushed him away.

Her reaction had startled him, and she'd managed to get away from him, running for all she was worth. But from that moment on, she'd been afraid of him, and he'd known it, which made him pursue her all the more, delighting in watching her squirm in terror to try and escape.

And now, here he was, at her home.

_How did he find out where I live?_ she thought in a panic.

Well she wasn't going to stay to find out. Dropping her backpack to the ground she hurriedly stepped through the door, turning to slam it shut and bolt it in place. Before she could accomplish her goal however, a large hand shot through, keeping it wedged it open.

"No!" she cried in a small voice, "go away!"

Her breath was coming out in small gasps, and she leaned against the door, the only thing separating her from her terror, using all her weight to try and keep Lokki out. But it was useless; her feet were sliding against the gleaming wooden floor, her slight frame no match for Lokki's strong build as he easily pushed her back, moving the door slowly but steadily forward on its hinges.

With a sob, Yukino fell back, turning to retreat, and she heard a harsh chuckle as the door behind her crashed loudly against the wall.

"Where are you going, Yukino?" Lokki called in a sly taunting voice, the echo of it following her across the polished wooden floor as her feet skittered precariously on the boards, carrying her towards the back of the shrine and the door leading to the inner sanctuary. "I've noticed that you've begun taking a different way to school and don't pass by me anymore, so I thought I would come and see you instead. Did you think I wouldn't notice, Yukino?" he taunted, "I've missed seeing your pretty face when it's just you, all alone, and you're not with your friends… Come on now, aren't you happy to see me too?"

His mocking question hung in the air and she could hear the heavy thud the soles of his shoes made against the floor as he pounded after her, intent on catching her before she hid herself behind another door.

_Hurry, Hurry, HURRY!_ Yukino's brain screamed, her hand fumbling with the latch to the inner sanctuary.

Jerking the door open, she rushed inside. She just managed to get it closed, but her shaking hands weren't quick enough to lock it before the latch was being lifted and the door roughly pushed open. Yukino fell back again, feeling like a trapped animal as Lokki made his entrance.

His wide shoulders filled the doorway and he stopped for a moment, leaning in a negligent pose as he looked across the room. He was attractive in a dark, menacing way, dressed in jeans, heavy black shoes, and a white t-shirt over which he wore his usual high-necked, black leather jacket with its many straps and metallic buckles. His hair was cut short, brushed back from his wide forehead, and its obsidian blackness blended with the dark, coal color of his eyes that glinted with a cold light as he trained them on Yukino.

Everything about him personified the darkness she could feel swirling inside him and she turned away from him, standing with one shoulder to the wall in a defensive position. His wide mouth curved into a cruel smile as he watched her cower away from him, and he laughed softly.

"Hmm," Lokki meditatively rubbed his chin, "I guess I shouldn't have brought you along with me, Hiroya," he threw over his shoulder, and Yukino's eyes followed his movement, seeing the bored face of the young man with the light hair from outside standing a few feet behind Lokki. "I think she's afraid of you," he murmured in amusement, his gaze swinging back to look at her, and it was very clear from the look in his eyes that, just as she'd suspected, he knew very well who it was that Yukino feared.

"You'd better leave." Yukino tried to speak strongly, mustering up as much bravado as she could, but her voice still quavered all the same. "My brother will be home any minute now –"

"I seriously doubt that," Lokki laughed skeptically, pushing away from the door and sauntering over to her. "You see, I was here when he left, Sweetness, and he looked like he was dressed for a _very_ important occasion. I'm guessing that he will be gone until well after midnight, which gives _me_ – " he stopped in front of Yukino and raised his hand, running the back of it suggestively down her cheek, "—plenty of time to get to know you better."

Fighting the urge to flinch, Yukino raised her light blue eyes to his darker ones, and surprised herself by saying in a tight voice, "Go to hell."

Lokki's eyes widened in momentary surprise, but then he smiled his sly smile and leaned his hands against the wall on either side of her, effectively trapping her. "I like it when you talk rough like that," he murmured silkily, "say something else. Call me a bastard," he whispered suggestively, "I know that will really turn me on." He ran his thumb along her bottom lip, his smile widening when he felt her tense. "Come on," he cajoled mockingly, "aren't you going to say anything?"

Yukino remained mute, feeling a cold trickle of sweat beginning to form on her brow as she kept her eyes fixed on the pure white color of his t-shirt, trying not to drown in the youki that pervaded the room and the darkness that was emanating from Lokki as well.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that you don't like me, Sweetness," he observed, and his hands moved from the wall to grip her shoulders. "But you should give me a chance to get closer to you. I can show you things you never even dreamed about doing; make you feel things that will set your body on fire. We can have a lot of fun together, Sweetness." He pulled her up against his chest, one of his hands clamping around her thigh and lewdly pulling her against his groin.

Yukino's hands shot out and she pushed against his chest. "Stop it! Let me go, you bastard!"

"Yes, that's it!" Lokki declared triumphantly, pushing her roughly against the wall with the weight of his body.

Yukino whimpered in pain as the back of her head smacked into the wall, but the sound was smothered when Lokki swooped down on her, his lips locking with hers, forcing her mouth open so he could invade it with his tongue. Yukino could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat, her hands flailing against his chest to no avail. He wasn't even holding her now. He was using his body to keep her wedged into place against the wall and his hands started to slide over her, trailing down her sides to her inner thighs, trying to force them open.

Desperate now, Yukino reached up and raked her fingernails down the sides of his face and with a string of obscenities he reared back.

"You bitch!"

Yukino didn't even have time to raise her hands in defense before he retaliated. His violent slap caught her full across the right side of her face and sent her head snapping sideways. The metallic buckles at his wrist followed the motion of his swing and cut into the soft flesh at the corner of her mouth. A salty taste filled her mouth and she felt a warm trickle down her chin.

Lokki raised his hand and touched the abraded skin of his cheek, looking at the blood on his fingertips before his violent gaze went back to Yukino. "So you want it rough?" he asked, stepping closer and jerking her chin upwards so he could press his fingers painfully against the bloodied tear in her lip. "I can make it as rough as you want it," he promised her ominously.

Grabbing her arms in a painful grasp, he dragged her towards him and Yukino looked at Hiroya, who was leaning dispassionately against the shrine's altar.

"Please –" Yukino breathed, her eyes beseeching Hiroya to intervene, "—please don't let him do this!"

"He's not going to help you, Sweetness." Lokki's laughter was harsh and derisive. "After I'm done with you, he's hoping it will be his turn. Only thing is, you're mine!"

"No!" Yukino cried, still resisting and went crashing back into the wall when Lokki suddenly let go of her.

"What did you just say?" Lokki demanded sharply, spinning abruptly towards Hiroya.

Hiroya gave Lokki a puzzled look and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno what you mean. I didn't say anything."

Lokki's eyes narrowed, but after a few brief seconds, his focus shifted away from Hiroya to the altar that was behind him..

"What is that?" Lokki asked in fascination, completely forgetting about Yukino and moving towards Hiroya.

Hiroya idly turned to look over his shoulder and then quickly straightened. "I –dunno ." he stuttered in amazement, looking at the round opalescent gemstone that was placed upon a small stand. It was glowing brightly, a dark halo encircling it as if all positive light and energy surrounding it was being reflected away, leaving nothing but a void of emptiness around it that was waiting to be filled.

"It didn't look like that a minute ago," Hiroya remarked.

Hiroya tentatively reached out his hand only to jerk it back in surprise as Yukino shrieked, "NO! You mustn't touch it!"

Yukino clambered clumsily to her feet and staggered in the direction of the altar, but she was already too late. Lokki was pushing Hiroya to the side and mumbling, "Can you hear that? It sounds like someone whispering."

"Oh god, no! Stop!" Yukino moaned, her hand outstretched to try and grab the amulet before Lokki could take it.

Her hands snagged the Maiden's Prayer beads attached to the Tama, but she was unable to pull it away before Lokki's blood-stained fingers wrapped around the opalescent sphere and he jerked at it, breaking the jewel free from the beads

"Oh no!" Yukino gasped as she watched the swirling clouds of color erupt inside the gem. "You must let go!" she cried frantically dropping the beads to the altar and lunging forward, knocking over the stand on which it had be sitting as she tried to grab it free. "You're corrupting it!"

Lokki laughed at her, a high twisted laugh, and easily evaded her grasp, his dark eyes beginning to burn with a strange light as he watched the erupting colors inside the jewel. There was a strange cracking sound and then a thin trickle of color began to leak outward from the jewel.

"H-hey," Hiroya said with a note of panic in his voice, as he looked around the room, "what's going on here?"

The air inside the room had begun to pulse with a strange purplish light, swirling around them, becoming heavy and oppressive. The whispers had become very loud now, and Yukino put her hands to her ears, terrified to listen to what they were saying.

"Onii-chan!" she cried, calling for her brother, desperately wishing he would appear.

"Incredible!" Lokki laughed exultantly, as he stared at the treasure in his hand, "but let's see if we can make it glow even brighter!"

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a switchblade. With a deft motion, he released the blade and turned to look purposefully at Yukino.

Immediately she shrank away from him, her gaze flitting to Hiroya before returning to the crazed man holding the swirling colored gem.

"Run!" she urged Hiroya as he stood gaping at Lokki.

She stumbled back a few paces as she felt her way along the altar table, aware that even though Lokki had yet to take a step towards her, he was still looking at her with predatory eyes.

"Aren't you going to run too, Sweetness?" he asked, the purple colors of the vortex transforming his countenance into something demonic.

"You must return it to me," she entreated, strands of crimson hair whipped wildly into her eyes by the force of the wind in the room. Mustering every ounce of courage left in her body, she extended her hand, noticing how badly it shook as she did so. "Please give it back, Lokki, before it destroys you."

A slow, hard smile spread across his face and he began to laugh again, the sound of it so loud that for a few seconds it blocked out the urgent whispering. But then it ended abruptly, and his face was wiped clean of all expression, save that dark sinister light that still burned so malignantly in his eyes.

"He should have listened to you, Sweetness," he murmured with a meaningful look that was completely lost on her. He lunged forward; a feigned attack, and she shrieked, pulling her hand back, shielding her body with her arms to watch him swerve away and head for Hiroya instead.

"Hey, what -- ? What are you doin' man?" cried Hiroya in alarm as the knife came slashing at him with deadly precision. He dodged the first blow, but the second blow slashed into his arm, ripping it open, darkening the silver blade with his blood, and the air in the room pulsed hard with a shockwave.

"Lokki!" Hiroya cried trying to parry his friend's frenzied attacks, "have you gone mad?"

"Not at all," Lokki replied with ease, smiling at the terror in his friend's face, "I need your blood for this jewel, Hiroya, so stand still."

They continued to struggle together, the blood from Hiroya's wound getting spattered everywhere, further defiling the shrine and fueling the corruption of the jewel. Yukino watched them, and after a few seconds realized that Lokki wasn't paying any attention to her. It was her only chance. Her terrified eyes drifted towards the jewel in his hand, the small tendril of energy leaking from it, spiraling up Lokki's arm like a spiritual viper coiling around its victim. _Could she get it away from him? Should she try?_ If she could, how far could she get before he caught her? she wondered.

Perhaps this was why Shirogane had decided to pursue Kagome – because Yukino did not have the strength to stand and take back what belonged to his family. Kagome had faced Naraku with her friends and defeated him, and yet here she stood, afraid to try and steal back the Kinmotsu no Tama – the Forbidden Soul –the Suketsune's family secret from the hands of a rowdy, delinquent human.

She would not dishonor her brother in such a way. Not after all he had done for her. For her brother, she would try. Yukino took a wobbly step forward. It was really her only option for she knew she couldn't let Lokki leave the temple with it. Taking a deep breath, she dodged forward making a quick snatch and couldn't believe how easily the Tama slid into her hands. But as she turned, she too grappled to hang onto it, realizing it was slippery – covered in the blood of Hiroya and Lokki, and some of her own blood as well. No wonder it had slipped so easily from his fingers!

She didn't have time to stop and rub it clean on her shirt, however. Lokki was already trying to disentangle himself from his brawl with Hiroya, throwing the light-haired youth back up against the shrine altar and shouting at Yukino to stop.

Yukino's fingers tightened around the Tama, and she could feel the youki sliding unpleasantly up the sleeve of her shirt the same way it had on Lokki. She heard the whispers too. This time, they weren't just around her but they were inside her head as well, trying to cloud her mind, and slow her steps, but she resisted. The youki was now beginning to burn through her sleeve and into her flesh as it curled around her the more she fought against its drugging insistence.

_Stop. Rest._ _It will be easier for you now if you stop. I can make it easier for you if you stop. He is going to catch you anyway, _the whispers seemed to cajole.

But Yukino didn't stop, and the youki continued to burn, wending its way up her arm towards her neck as it tried to gain a hold over her.

All she wanted to do was get away, find a way out of this nightmare. Darting a look over her shoulder, she ran as fast as she could through the shrine, jumping over her discarded school backpack, heading toward the torii gate and the street below.

If she could reach the street, then maybe she could call for help. But already she could hear Lokki's footfalls catching up with her. She'd barely reached the top and of the stairs when she felt him from behind. He put his hand in the middle of her back and shoved hard, sending her flying down the first flight of steps.

With a cry and nothing to break her fall, Yukino toppled down the stairs, feeling the rough cement catch at her school uniform tearing it in several places. Her arms went up to shield her neck and head as the world went spinning out of control, her entire body throbbing, battered by the tumble and her skin on fire from being dragged down the sandpaper surface of the sidewalk.

Lokki stood at the top and watched her fall, waiting until she lay at the bottom, unmoving curled into a ball before he strode down the steps to where she lay, stunned. Crouching down, he pulled the Tama from her nerveless grasp, a satisfied expression on his face, and then his eyes slid back to Yukino who still lay there, her eyes staring sightlessly ahead, still gasping for breath.

Reaching out he hooked his hand in her elbow and pulled her ruthlessly to her feet, his arm going around her to bring her body closer to his. Yukino's efforts to protest were feeble, her endurance gone and her energy almost completely spent, and he laughed softly.

"Why did you run away, Sweetness?" he asked mockingly, "Don't you know I'd never use a knife on my girl?"

Taking advantage of her lack of energy, he reached out and raised her chin. Yukino looked up at him, her eyes defiant, but her body unable to fight him. With a small, smug smile, he lowered his head, moving with deliberate slowness to enjoy the look of resistance on her face before he finally kissed her. It was a hard, possessive kiss that left Yukino feeling nauseous and weak when it was over.

Disgusted, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and heard Lokki's low laugh as he watched her reaction.

"No matter what you might think, Sweetness, you _are mine_," he told her. "I've taken a real liking to you. And once we get to where we need to be, I'll show you just how much."

Then he started dragging her along the sidewalk, looking up and down the street as they went.

"W-where are we going?" Yukino wanted to know numbly, stumbling alongside him, her sore body protesting with every step.

"I'm not sure," Lokki replied, and then held out his hand, the Tama glowing brightly within his fingers, 'but this thing seems to know the way."

Yukino's heart gave a lurch and she didn't say anything else. Her worst fear had come to pass; the seed inside the Forbidden Soul was blooming once again. Her only hope now lay with her brother.

Kagome emerged from the train station dressed in her best, dark blue business suit, a harried expression on her face as she looked at her watch. If she had known that there was going to be a rock concert downtown, then she wouldn't have bothered with the train. She would have caught a taxi instead. Now she only had a few minutes to spare before the dinner meeting was supposed to start and she was still about a block and a half away from the restaurant!

And she had so wanted to make a good first impression with Suketsune-sama! – er _Shirogane_ - she thought in consternation as she scurried along the sidewalk. Suddenly, she heard the chirp of her cell phone, and she was forced to juggle her portfolio in order to get to her purse where her phone was was located.

Funny how it was never on top when she needed it, she thought with an ironic twist to her lips.

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to jam the portfolio tighter under her left arm when it kept wanting to slide free while she hastily dug through her purse, scattering some of its contents on the ground near her feet in the process.

Dangit! she thought in consternation, and then finally she found it.

Blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes in exasperation, she yanked her phone out from near the very bottom and looked at the screen, not surprised to see that it was Hojo.

"Where are you?" he immediately demanded.

"Not too far now," she assured him, again absently tucking the sliding portfolio more securely, taken aback at how agitated he sounded.

It was very uncharacteristic.

"I've been expecting to see you all day – where have you been Kagome?" he asked in a distracted manner.

Kagome didn't know why, but the underlying tension in his voice sharply reminded her of the conversation that they'd had on the phone during last night's vicious thunderstorm, and a sense of unease began to fill her.

"I – I had some things to attend to at home," she hedged warily, "one of the buildings inside our shrine compound caught fire last night, and I was trying to make sure that the repairs got started without any problems. I left a message with your secretary. Didn't she give it to you?"

"Yes, but I expected you to call back. You're message said you would," Hojo replied, his tone slightly reproachful, again highly uncharacteristic.

"I'm really sorry," Kagome was immediately contrite. "I did mean to, but I just got so caught up with the well, that I completely forgot –"

Perhaps that wasn't the best way to start the conversation knowing that Hojo had something serious on his mind, she mused as she toed the spilled items of her purse with her high heel pump. She tried to unobtrusively gather everything together in a small pile to keep them from getting kicked around, smiling politely at several people who shuffled passed her.

Maybe it would be best, she decided, if she tried to change to vein of the conversation to a more neutral topic. "I have been doing the last minute touch-ups like I promised I would, so not to worry! Everything is finished!"

"That's not why I was waiting to hear from you," Hojo replied a little sharply, and Kagome tensed, relaxing again as he modified his tone, and continued, "but it doesn't matter now. I've waited this long, I guess I can wait a little longer. You're almost running late you know – but we're in luck because Shirogane has yet to arrive as well --"

Kagome was only listening with half an ear to what he said now, worrying more about recovering the contents of her purse and getting to the restaurant before Shirogane in order to salvage their first meeting. Hastily, she extended a warning finger toward the ground as pedestrians walked close to her little mine field of trinkets, but alas, it was too late with one well-dressed gentleman and she cringed as he stepped on her newest shade of Roulette Gypsy Red lipstick, crushing it completely.

Kagome gave a toothy grimace but said nothing as he walked away. She looked at the red smear of color on the pavement. It rather reminded her of the bright swath of color near sunrise earlier that morning, the one she had witnessed after a long sleepless night. She'd been the only one in her family to witness it too, for she'd arisen before anyone else, her sole purpose being to check on the well.

With the sun barely peeking above the horizon, blazing in that same Roulette Gypsy Red, she wryly recalled, she'd hurriedly shuffled herself into a worn pair of jeans and an old baggy sweatshirt and quietly made her way across the complex, slowing her pace the last few hundred yards as her eyes slid over the building's façade to try and prepare herself for the worst.

The outside building had been burned badly and the roof had partially collapsed into the interior. The air had hung heavy with the acrid smell of burnt timber and Kagome had stood for a long moment, her hand nervously toying with the collar to her sweatshirt before she mustered up enough courage to try to open the door and look inside.

There were broken roof tiles and fallen timbers everywhere, some of them still smoldering, and the wooden flooring and stairs leading to the center were gone as well so there was no easy way to get down to the bottom without making a jump. But she barely noticed this. Her brown eyes had immediately sought out the structure of the well itself, finding it amid the hazy smoke filled interior. Its stone outline had been reassuringly solid albeit sorely blackened.

Kagome had slumped down along the doorjamb, feeling suddenly weak at the knees. She'd been so worried that the well would not be there.

And yet she was still worried, she realized candidly. Worried that even though the well was still there, that perhaps the portal had been affected – but just how would she know if it had? she asked herself sharply. This was not like the old days when she had a Shikon shard and could freely come and go. Otherwise she would have already – Kagome reined in her traitorous thoughts, appalled at the direction they were taking.

_Already what? _

_Already gone back? _

_Would she have already gone back?_

Surely not!

Suddenly Kagome felt ill. All within the space of a few short hours, the tempo of her well ordered life had been shattered. The life that she thought she'd wanted, the future that she thought was so safe – it was being clouded by her feelings from the past, feelings that she thought she didn't want. She was so confused, as if her good sense had gone missing among the cinders of the smoldering timbers of the Hidden Well.

"Hojo, I'm almost there now," she reiterated weakly, "just give me a few more minutes and I'll be there, okay?"

She hung up without saying goodbye, numbly dropping her phone back into her bag. _What was she going to do?_ She thought, staring blindly down at her little pile of items. There wasn't anything she could do, was there?

"Kagome?" a voice hailed her from behind, and a chill shot her spine. Something about it was familiar.

Kagome turned and looked over her shoulder experiencing a moment of extreme shock, her heart skipping a beat. Behind her stood a man with the hair the color of moonlight. A small mysterious smile played about his lips as he gazed at her.

_Inuyasha?_

A moment of pure, utter joy swept through her, and Kagome eagerly turned towards him, and then realized her error, her heart suddenly feeling like it had gone from feather light to stone heavy in the span of a few short seconds. This man was tall and slender with broad shoulder. He was well dressed in a dark suit, with a high, mandarin color under which he wore a white crisp shirt, the collar in the mandarin style as well. His hair, which had been what had startled her so at first because of its unusual silver color, was long, the feathered fringe over his brow framing his face attractively. He wore the rest of it pulled back in a thick braid, which trailed down his back, the end encased in a small fluted metallic fillet. Kagome couldn't tell the color of his eyes for he wore dark sunglasses; but the most important thing about him was his ears: they were human ears, in one of which he wore a single diamond solitaire.

"Here, let me help you with those" the stranger said, bending and scooping up her small pile of things, minus the lipstick, before handing them to her. As he continued to speak in his soft, smooth tenor, Kagome was still plagued with the nagging feeling of having heard his voice before, but she couldn't place it.

She murmured her thanks with a grateful smile, and then felt her face flame with color, when he said, "It's a pleasure to finally get to meet you in person, Kagome-sama. I'm Shirogane Suketsune. I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time."

_Kagome-sama?_ Why on earth had he called her that? He was addressing her the same way Miroku used to, like he thought of her as some great priestess…

Kagome blinked at him, not quite sure what to say, and then blinked again when he gave her a regretful smile and added, "But alas, I'm afraid that I have to cancel my plans for this evening. The alarm at my shrine has been tripped. I'm sure it's nothing, but I need to get back and make sure that everything is in order. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course," Kagome replied, not understanding at all and feeling a moment of pique. The delinquent priest had once again managed to evade a meeting with her – but at least she'd managed an introduction, she thought. Although, she wasn't sure she counted that as a bonus, since she found his presence extremely unsettling.

"You will, of course, inform Hojo for me?" Shirogane motioned gracefully in the direction of the restaurant, "and we can reschedule for the near future?" he asked suavely with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm certain that can be arranged," Kagome agreed with a wan smile.

Then Shirogane took her hand and said, "I look forward to it, Kagome."

_At least he didn't call me Kagome-sama this time,_ she thought, uneasily.

Kagome made a noncommittal reply, feeling slightly uncomfortable as Shirogane held her hand for what seemed longer than necessary, giving her fingers a slight squeeze before letting go.

With a salute, he turned and sauntered away, and then Kagome too, after a moment of muddled contemplation, turned and moved in the other direction, towards the restaurant, but several times, she turned and looked back over her shoulder with a bemused expression.

Something about him reminded her of Inuyasha, and it was more than just the hair, she thought.

47


	4. 04: That Which Shines Brightest

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**That Which Shines Brightest**

The Forbidden Soul is irresistibly drawn to the Bone Eater's Well and Kagome receives a sudden proposal.

Chapter Four

"Ha ha ha ha!" Tsuzume cried, and Inuyasha glared at her, shoveling a mushroom under her nose for her delighted perusal. Tsuzume moved her feet excitedly up and down on his shoulder and took it from him, disposing of it in one gulp and looking hopefully at him for more.

"Shhh!" he chided for the fourth time since they'd entered the forest, his infinitesimally short temper beginning to wear thin. "You want someone to hear you?"

Maybe bringing her hadn't been such a good idea, he debated as his eyes flickered left and right. But then again, maybe coming here himself hadn't been such a good idea either. What could he do here, tonight, like this? he thought scornfully, looking down at himself in his human form. He was more than useless here now, and earlier in the day, he'd been busy, thank god; otherwise, he probably would have been crawling back here for everyone to see, worrying over what was happening to the well.

But somehow, he'd managed to stay away all day. Of course there had been that small skirmish concerning the Shikon no Tama. That had helped tremendously. A greedy oni that needed to be taken care of – child's play really, but it had kept him preoccupied until the sun went down, and then there was nothing left to do.

The girls had left around that time – reiterating that they had made a promise to Kaede-baba to finish clearing out Inuyasha forest. They had invited him to go, Shippou with his face stretched into its wide, knowing grin, and Inuyasha had feigned disinterest. The only reason in Shippou's mind for Inuyasha's possible presence there now, in his human form, since he would be useless as a demon hunter, would be because of the well.

Of course Inuyasha had to refuse. He'd be an idiot not to.

But that didn't mean he didn't plan on going.

_Gah! What a fool he was_. _He was gonna get caught._ A little voice inside his head whispered.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Tsuzume cried again.

"Suzu!" Inuyasha growled testily.

Especially if this infernal bird kept screeching every time she wanted a mushroom, he seethed, turning his head and giving her a dark look before tossing her another mushroom.

"That's all I brought," he informed her showing her his hands. "See? No more!"

Suzu's liquid grey eyes examined his empty hands, registering acute disappointment, and then after a quick nip at his ear, she promptly left his shoulder and headed for the trees. Inuyasha stared after her, his mouth slightly agape, and then shook his fist at her.

"Little traitor," he growled at her, but she just chattered down at him, not at all offended by his remarks.

Inuyasha grumbled a bit under his breath about her fickle behavior, but in all actuality, he was mildly relieved that she had moved farther a field. From the trees it would be less likely for her noise to draw attention to his presence.

Don't go wandering too far," he called to her, "I can't hear the Wasps that well right now." She seemed to understand and as he started walking in the direction of the well, she moved from tree to tree, keeping him in sight.

Inuyasha moved tentatively, not at all like the night before. His senses felt dull, sluggish, like the stagnant waters of a marsh. How could humans stand to be… _so human?_

Pushing back a few tree limbs, he entered into the clearing that was home to the Bone Eater's Well. He paused, listening, the only sound his human ears picking up was Suzu's intermittent chatter and the rustle of the autumn wind among the top of the trees.

Well. Here he was. So what now? He stared for the longest time at the well, unmoving, lost in thought, unaware he was being watched.

"What's he doing?" Shippou demanded in a loud whisper and immediately found Sango's hand clamped over his face, her brows drawn together in patent disapproval.

"If he hears you, Shippou," Sango reproved in hushed tones, "it will be a painful lesson on your part!"

Shippou nodded, holding up his little hands apologetically and Sango slowly removed her hand.

"But why doesn't he move over to the well?" Shippou wondered aloud, but quieter this time, "that's obviously why he's here, isn't it?"

"Don't automatically assume he's here just because of the well," Sango cautioned, leaning her Hiraikotsu against a tree since they'd just now finished with the last of the Blood Wasp nests. "Inuyasha may be here trying to learn what exactly it was that happened last night." -- It had really seemed to trouble him, she silently added as she studied his intent profile.

"Who? Inuyasha? Highly unlikely!" Shippou observed callously. "He doesn't have the brain power for that kind of thing! He's here to go get Kagome!" he announced, his green eyes shining with a fervent light.

"Shippou, we don't know that," Rin declared diffidently, not wanting to see her young friend hurt. He'd taken it so badly when Kagome had left and he'd never given up the hope that one day she would return. Her heart sank a little when she realized he wasn't listening to her one iota.

"Look! Look!" Shippou hissed excitedly, pointing towards Inuyasha. "He's moving towards the well!" He's going to do it now! He's going to go get her!"

Still blissfully unaware that his every little action was being diagnosed, Inuyasha reluctantly started dragging his feet towards the Bone Eater's Well, not sure if he wanted to get close enough to touch it.

After all, in his panic yesterday, he'd almost talked himself into going in.

No – that wasn't true, he silently amended. He _had_ talked himself to going in. If it hadn't been for the arrival of Shippou and the girls, who knows how it would have ended?

His muscles taught, Inuyasha drew up a few feet short from the square rim. Everything seemed to be normal, he observed warily. He scooted a little closer, lifted his head and sniffed the air.

It smelled like… _like air, dammit!_

There were no subtleties about it, no hints to help him. He couldn't even smell the sharp tang of maple leaves that normally pervaded the air here. So if there was the phantom smell of smoke like there had been last night, his lungs would have to all but be swimming in it for him to be able to notice it, he thought acerbically. Stepping closer, he put his hands on the ledge and leaned over, drawing in the deepest breath he could. He held it for a split second before letting it splutter out in disgust.

_Gah! This was useless_! he thought angrily. Jerking up, he stormed several steps away until he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

It was a woman's cry, and it was coming from inside the well.

"Let me go!" she cried, "Onii-chan! Where did he go! What did you do to him?"

Startled, Inuyasha turned on his heel, and, automatically drawing an untransformed Tetsusaiga, he once again approached the well.

_Just what the hell was going on here?_

The last bit of color drained from the sky, leaving it a dull grey and, Shirogane shed his sunglasses, carelessly tossing them into the passenger seat next to him as he waited for the traffic light to change.

_Come on, Yukino,_ he silently urged, _pick up the phone_.

The light changed, as, for the second time, he got her voice mail. His jaw tightened as he sharply flipped his phone shut and stepped on the gas, the phone joining his sunglasses on the passenger seat while he concentrated on weaving through the traffic as quickly as he could.

_Blast his baby sister!_

She was doing this on purpose, he fumed, running impatient fingers through the long strands of silver hanging in his eyes, using his pique to fight off the unease that was beginning to claw at his insides.

Why was she being so pigheaded over this, when it wasn't in her nature to be this way at all!

She was generally such an obedient child, her blue eyes smiling up at him over every single thing he asked her to do. She hardly complained about anything. Not even when he'd been forced to start training her to take over the temple duties, when he could see that they terrified her to death. Even on the days when the youki had had a chance to build and the cleansing ceremony needed to be performed, and Yuki's face would be drained of all color, her auburn hair standing out like a burning flame and the azure color of her eyes iced over in shock – not even then had there been one single word of complaint.

Fire and ice, he mused. He'd never thought of her that way, but recently it seemed a good way to describe her moods.

He should have realized that this was going to happen though, he mused in regret as he turned left and headed down the last block before the temple. His family had long held Kagome in low esteem, blaming her for their burden. Yet when Yukino had first joined their family she'd seemed different, curious and open as she listened, wide-eyed to the stories from the past. They fascinated her, the tales of heroism and mysticism that her oni-chan would weave for her.

But after both their parent's had died, her openness had begun to change, and Shirogane had often seen her scowl whenever he would mention anything having to do with Kagome Higurashi.

He thought it was the pressures of the shrine, the weight of the responsibilities that she was forced to carry. She was just a child, after all. It was only natural that she would look for someone to blame for her current plight, and Kagome made as good a scapegoat as any. Hadn't his family thought so as well?

Truly he had expected some reticence on the day he'd informed her that he'd hired Kagome's firm to renovate the shrine. But he'd hardly been prepared for the impassioned argument he'd received. He'd never seen her react so negatively to anything, furiously retaliating by saying what a burden her duties had been.

Of course, she'd been immediately remorseful over those words. He'd seen it in her eyes. But her guilt was a mere shadow of the sins that beleaguered his heart concerning their situation as a family and the role that he had taught her to play regarding the duties of the shrine; a role he'd no intention of letting her continue indefinitely. Which is why he had refused to yield to her freakish fit of temper.

And so they had arrived at a stalemate.

He had continued with his plans, and she had continued her vehement protests, using her dark stares and brooding eyes to let him know that she thought he was doing the wrong thing every time she'd brought him a proof from Kagome.

He'd hoped that once she'd gotten a chance to meet with Kagome and got to know her better, her dislike would fade, and she would revert back to that same curious openness she used to exemplify. Only that hadn't happened.

Instead, Yukino's hostilities had seemed to intensify and she'd become even more remote with him, barely speaking with him when she came home from school, and answering in monosyllable whenever possible at mealtimes.

So of course, this was probably another of her protests: by not answering her phone, she was getting back at him for having dinner with Kagome. He'd let it go for too long now, trying to be patient, hoping it would get better. But not after tonight.

Tonight, he thought, his lips thinning into an irritated line, he was going to have a few choice words to say to her when he got home.

Right after he reset the alarm in the shrine, he mused as he pulled the keys from the ignition and left the car, climbing the steps to the shrine.

He was half way to the top when his unease intensified, and he paused, his hand resting lightly on the balustrade, his head dipping forward. Something wasn't right. He could feel it in the air. He turned, moving in a slow circle, letting his mind expand beyond what he could see.

_Youki. He could feel a sense of dissipating youki…_

Turning he ran up the stairs two at a time, his eyes immediately noting the darkened windows of the house. She hadn't returned yet. Where was she? She should have been here by now, he thought distractedly. Rapidly he strode towards the shrine.

"Come on, Yukino," he breathed, real fear beginning to rise inside him as he pulled out his phone, dialing her number one more time. "Please answer the phone, dammit!"

Again, she didn't pick up, and as he reached the shrine, he realized why. It was chirping loudly in the outside pocket of her school bag that lay discarded at the shrine's gaping door. Slowly Shirogane closed his phone, his hands fisting at his sides.

He could feel dissipating youki here too, youki that should be stronger here, wasn't.

But at the moment, he didn't care about that. All he cared about was finding his baby sister.

_Please god, let her be inside. Let her be safe._

Stepping inside, he quickly turned to the wall next to the door and punched in the disarming code for the silent alarm to the inner sanctuary. After a swift perusal of the room, it was easy to see that nothing here had been disturbed, except for the inner sanctuary door, which was left standing ajar. But considering the trail of youki, he didn't find that surprising.

He didn't directly head in that direction however. Instead, he stealthily moved to the right, softly opening the door to a small antechamber filled with storage items and cleaning supplies. Without hesitation, he grabbed a dust mop leaning against the wall and began turning the handle, loosening it from the mop head. It wasn't much of a weapon, he mused with a twist to his lips, but it was better than nothing at all.

Carrying the makeshift staff down by his side, he turned and re-entered the main shrine, treading purposefully towards the inner sanctuary at the back. His pace slowed as he neared it, and he tightened his grip on the mop handle, his amber eyes sharp as the delved into the shadows stretching beyond the Inner Sanctuary door. Then he heard a low moan, and he flipped the staff up into a ready stance when he realized the sound was too low pitched to be his sister. Cautiously he stepped into the room his cold, hard gaze taking in the destruction around him.

There was blood everywhere – on the altar, the floor and the far wall. _Yukino's?_ His brain shied away from the possibility of that, not knowing if he could face that reality were it so. Instead he put his emotions aside and continued his inspection of the room, noting that the altar itself had been knocked askew, the stand designed to hold the Kinmotsu no Tama overturned, and the Maiden's Prayer Beads that helped to chain the energy, lying discarded next to it.

In front of the altar, a light-haired youth lay slumped over, his face purpled and swelling from contusions and his arms and parts of his chest that could be seen through rips in his t-shirt scored by several deep slash wounds. His eyes were closed and he periodically groaned, grasping at one particularly deep wound near his right shoulder.

Shirogane reached out and using the tip of the mop handle raised Hiroya's chin away from his chest, so that he could examine his face.

Immediately his eyes opened and he stared warily up at Shirogane.

"Where's Yukino?" Shirogane demanded coldly without preamble.

"I – I don't understand it," Hiroya mumbled weakly," he said he just wanted to have a little fun with the girl – that's all! That's all!" he cried, beginning to get hysterical, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Who? Who said he wanted to have fun?" Shirogane grilled, feeling a cold rage beginning to burn inside him.

"Lokki," Hiroya sobbed, bringing his left hand up to cover his eyes as if he could wipe away the horrible images of what he'd witnessed. "He said he heard voices – some kinda whispering… but I didn't hear a damn thing! And the next thing I knew he was attacking me with a knife, man!" Hiroya was trembling all over now, and Shirogane lowered the mop pole, a horrible foreboding gripping him.

"Did he take the jewel from the stand?" he asked.

"Yeah, he took it," Hiroya confirmed with a crack of insane laughter, "and then all sorts of weird crap began to happen! The room was filled with freakin' wind, man! And a purple light! That's not normal!" He dropped his hand away, glaring in a crazed way at Shirogane, almost as if he dared him to deny what he'd just said. "I ain't crazy, man. I swear it happened."

"I believe you," Shirogane replied with quiet intensity, and then, "what happened to the girl? Where did she go?"

"She tried to take the Jewel," Hiroya said, and Shirogane swore softly under his breath, "she ran, and Lokki ran after her. That was the last I saw of the both of them. I swear!" He lay there panting, looking up at Shirogane his face tensing when he saw him pull out his cell phone and flip it open. "I didn't do nothin'! I swear!" he cried, shifting to try and stand, but Shirogane lifted a foot and wedged it against Hiroya's good shoulder, his eyes giving him a murderous glance.

"That's right you didn't" Shiro replied coldly. "You didn't help my sister when she needed it and for that, the gods have punished you," he made an illustrative gesture towards the rents in Hiroya's clothing and the blood seeping down his arm. "You should be thankful that I'm not calling the police."

An arrested expressed crossed Hiroya's face. "Y-you're not?"

"No," Shirogane snapped testily, as he put the phone up to his ear and listened "I suppose I could call them, but you would most likely run off before they got here and I don't have time to waste babysitting you, waiting for them to arrive. I need to go look for my sister and get our Tama back. I am calling for medical assistance for you however," he added coolly, "I doubt you would be fool enough to run off before they get here; but I could be wrong judging from the company you keep."

Hiroya didn't say anything his head slumping weakly back to his chest, although Shirogane hadn't expected him to.

He made his call to authorities brief, then returned to the antechamber to get some clean rags they kept there for polishing the windows. Using them, he quickly and efficiently bound the most severe of Hiroya's wounds, his mind already occupied with the larger task of finding his sister and the Kinmotsu no Tama. He already knew where to look. He just hoped he could get there in time.

"If you're smart, you won't move too much until help gets here," he told Hiroya with little sympathy as he climbed to his feet and headed out the door throwing over his shoulder as he went, "and if I ever see you here again, don't think that I'll be so forgiving."

Once outside the temple, he made a quick stop by the house, running inside to get a real weapon; one from his college days when he often practiced with a bo and katana, should there ever come a time that he might need to protect the shrine. He went into his room and took down the bo, a long wooden martial arts staff, leaving the katana, not trusting the sharp blade, since more blood would only fuel the corruption of the Tama. Then he left the house and headed for the Higurashi Shrine across town.

How long had it been? he wondered. How far ahead was this Lokki, and did the Jewel have enough of a hold on him to lead him directly to the Well? In his mind's eye arose the image of his sister's terrified face as she plunged headlong down the well, her scream echoing through the blackness before it was abruptly swallowed up by the portal, and Shirogane took out his phone and began to dial Kagome's number. But before it could ring he slammed it shut, grinding his teeth together in infuriation. As much as he wished it, he couldn't get her involved with this. The fewer the people that knew about the Forbidden Soul's existence the better.

He would get there in time, he tried to assure himself. They couldn't be that far ahead of him, and they would most likely be traveling on foot. And if by some perverse stroke of luck, Lokki did take Yukino through the well before he could get there, there should be enough of Inuyasha's blood running through his veins to ensure that he could follow after them without the aid of the Kinmotsu no Tama…

"They are superb, as always," Hojo enthused warmly, looking at the proofs spread out over the table before glancing up at Kagome who sat across the table from him. "It's a pity that Suketsune-same is not here to praise them as well. But I know he'll be delighted with them. I'm sorry that I'll not be able to here to help him finalize things."

Kagome looked startled. "What do you mean you won't be here? This is your project, Hojo, isn't it? They aren't transferring it to someone else, are they?"

Hojo's countenance wore a look of unease. It was a look that didn't suit him well at all, and it made Kagome nervously clasp her hands together in her lap beneath the table. "Are you hungry?" he asked, changing the subject, "we could eat…?" he toyed absently with his knife, not looking at her, and then muttered, "or I could take you home? There's actually a few things I've been meaning to talk to you about and I feel a little too nervous to eat," he admitted rather candidly.

"W-we can go ahead and go home," Kagome agreed, suddenly feeling like she'd eaten a box of tacks. "I'm not very hungry either."

They took the train home. It was much less crowded than it had been on the way to the restaurant, but Kagome almost wished for the opposite. At least that way there would be too much noise for trying to make idle conversation, and then they wouldn't have to worry about the horrible little awkward silences that seemed to fall far too often between them, as if they were strangers attempting their first blind date.

Finally they were there, and as they passed the Goshin Boku, Hojo's steps began to lag.

"I have something for you," he told her, and began searching the inner pocket of his suit jacket, before producing a small brown bottle with a gold label. Wearing a playful grin, he held it out to her, and with a questioning look, she took it from him. "It's a Kampo remedy," he told her with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Bupleurum, Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell Supplement?" Kagome read, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "What is it for?"

"Well," Hojo moved closer to her and took her other hand, clasping it gently between his as he looked searchingly into her eyes, suddenly very serious. "It's for your heart palpitations. I thought you might need it for what I'm about to say."

Kagome opened her mouth, but nothing came out, and she could only stare helplessly at Hojo as he continued.

"You see, Kagome, the thing is, I've been offered a position with a prominent architectural firm in the United States – in New York – they want me right away. Matsuda-san already knows. I've given my official resignation effective this Friday, and my plane leaves on Sunday morning at 10:30 am." Hojo paused anxiously, he let go of Kagome's hand to cup her cheek, when she continued to stand and stare at him, mute. "I want you to come with me, Kagome, I love you. Will you marry me?"

_Oh god…Marry…_ That one word lodged deeply in her brain like a hot poker, burning, scoring deeply, and she wondered why it hurt so badly when it shouldn't hurt at all.

"M-marry?" she stuttered, "H-hojo, I – I – I…. m-marry?" she repeated her brown eyes widening so that they seemed they might swallow her entire face.

"Perhaps I should have brought you two bottles instead of one," he murmured with a sheepish gesture towards the one that Kagome was half-strangling.

"Oh, no," Kagome looked at the bottle in a distracted way, and tried to relax, but couldn't seem to gather her thoughts together, her eyes slipping towards the burnt walls of the Well House. "Hojo, I, I, -- I do have very deep feelings for you –" she stumbled over her wording, not wanting to hurt him, breaking off when he enveloped her in a tight embrace. Hot tears began to prick the back of her eyes.

"Is it me?" He asked, his voice tighter than his arms, "tell me what to do to make you say yes…"

Kagome's arms came up, encircling him, trying to offer him comfort, for she could offer him no words of encouragement.

"Is it someone else, Kagome?" He asked in a dispirited way, "are you in love with someone else?"

Shirogane Suketsune's face popped into her head for some unknown reason, and then it wavered slightly, becoming Inuyasha's, and Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image.

"It's me," Kagome finally managed in a thick voice, "I'm sorry, Hojo, but I can't go with you. My home and my family are here. As much as I care for you, I, -- I feel that leaving them would be wrong. Jii-chan depends upon me to help at the shrine. I can't let him down."

Hojo was silent for a long moment, and then he pulled back, a bittersweet smile curving his lips, and Kagome felt her heart wrench. _He knows I'm lying,_ she thought wretchedly.

"Sweet Kagome," he murmured, "you know I would wait for you… If you should ever change your mind, you know that I'll always be here for you."

"No!" Kagome blurted out, her bottom lip quivering and she seized Hojo's arm, squeezing it tightly, "You must follow your dreams, Hojo! You must always look forward, no matter what, and not look back at what you've left behind," _unlike me,_ she silently added, "don't keep looking for me… otherwise you will never be happy, and I want you to be happy! You deserve happiness!"

Hojo looked down in dismay at Kagome's upturned face, but then he gave her a small smile, and leaned down placing a gentle kiss on her mouth, his hand caressing the black silk of her hair before regretfully dropping back to his side.

"I will move forward," he told her, "but I can never forget you." He turned away, looked up at the sky, and murmured impassively, "I see in you, that which shines brightest in my life and it fills my heart, Kagome-chan." He turned his head and directed one last smile at her before saying, "Remember me fondly, sweet Kagome."

And then he quietly left, and Kagome wished that she could have told him 'yes'. That way it wouldn't feel as if she'd just lost her best friend. Kagome watched Hojo's silhouette until it faded into the darkness and then she turned and drifted aimlessly towards the house, ignoring the concerned call of her Jii-chan when he saw her come through the door and place her things on the side table next to the door. With a dismissive gesture, she waved him away. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She just wanted to make it to her room.

She wanted to lie down on her bed and let the calming ether of sleep mingle with the confusion of her emotions and dull the heavy ache around her heart. Jii-chan was wise enough to let her go, sensing the turmoil she felt, and she slumped onto her bed for all of thirty seconds when she made safe haven.

_That which shines brightest…._ Such a beautiful thing he'd said -- _why couldn't Hojo be the one that shined brightest for her?_ she wondered miserably. She closed her eyes and then wished she hadn't when the luminescent image of long, silvery hair, amber eyes, and an impudent smile rose to haunt her. Then she was up again, heading for her desk, her elbows resting on top of some of the papers lying there, her head in her hands.

_Where are you?_ she lamented silently, the pain rolling through her in waves, its rawness staggering her in its intensity.

Why was she feeling like this? It had been ten years….

_Where are you?_

It was pointless to feel this way, she reasoned. She should be beyond all this by now!

_Where are you?_ _Why haven't you come for me?_

And then it slipped past her lips, the word that she had not voluntarily spoken in all those years.

"Inuyasha…"

Drawing in a deep shuddering breath, Kagome lifted her head, and pushed at the heavy strands of ebony hair lying against her brow. This was getting her nowhere. Self-pity never did. She needed rest. She would feel better in the morning. She was sure of it.

Wearily, she rose from her chair and removed her suit jacket, and headed towards her closet to hang it up when a shiver of awareness shot up her spine.

She turned her head in shock, her eyes seeking the darkness beyond the window, her fingers crushing the fabric held in her hand. _A Shikon Shard?_ She thought, slowly crossing towards the window. No… this was different. More… powerful and…

Kagome shivered again and wrapped her arms around her body. The youki she felt seemed sentient and aggressive, as if it was exploring what was around it.

_It was close_. _Too close… from inside the Well House? _ No, she amended, it was moving towards the Well House.

Dropping her jacket to the bed, Kagome grabbed the flashlight that she'd left sitting on the edge of her desk from the night before and headed downstairs and out the door. She was afraid to turn it on however, although she had a feeling that whatever she was sensing already knew she was there.

_It's very close_, she thought again as her steps carried her within feet of the corner of the Well House and she paused, listening for any sounds of movement.

How would such a thing come to be here? In this era? That much youki… She hadn't believed it possible that something like that was still around in the twenty-first century. Kagome's eyes flitted towards the yawning, black hole that signified the open door to the Well House. Is that what had drawn it here? Did it come because of the Bone Eater's Well? Kagome moved closer to the door, the feeling of youki so heavy in the air that it was hard to tell what direction it was coming from.

Finally getting up the nerve, Kagome switched on her flashlight and aimed it down into the Well House. The beam bounced eerily off the fallen timbers casting strange shadows, but as far as she could tell, there was nothing moving down there.

Then she heard a slight noise to her left: a strange scraping sound as if something was being dragged, and before she could turn her head to look, a familiar voice screeched in her ear, "Run, Kagome!"

But it was too late. A rough hand had grabbed her by the arm and shoved her forward hard, and with a gasp, she found herself pitched headfirst to the Well House floor. She put her hands out to try and break her fall, losing her grip on her flashlight, and it rolled away, coming to rest against a pile of debris, its light dimly illuminating the room.

As Kagome clambered to her feet, she could hear the sound of others jumping to the floor from the door above and then the sound of scuffing, the grunts of a man, and the gurgled cries of a woman. She turned and immediately had to dodge, as, from the corner of her eye, she saw the light glint off the silver tip of a small blade when it came swiping at her.

"You little…" Kagome heard the man growl in a rough voice, his back to her, struggling with the unseen woman as Kagome trundled backwards to stay out of his path, "you'll stop fighting me, if you know what's good for you!"

"I can't let you hurt - Ka- go- me, Lokki!" the girl declared in strained accents and Kagome felt a moment of shock as she recognized the voice.

"Yukino?" Kagome cried, her voice cracking in surprise, and she took a hesitant step toward the struggling pair.

The man seemed to be getting the upper hand, and he was able to spin them around so that they were now facing her, and Kagome was shaken at the terrible condition Yukino was in as she tried to hang on to her captor's arm which held the knife and keep him from advancing on Kagome.

Anger flashed in Kagome's eyes as she looked at Lokki, her gaze not missing the glowing Tama that he clutched tightly even while he kept his victim wrapped securely within the cage of his arm. "Let her go!" Kagome ordered, "you have what you want." She gestured towards the Tama, and then added perspicaciously, "there can only be one reason why you're here." Her gaze moved knowingly to the well before she added, "So take it and go, but leave Yukino here!"

There was a moment of silence, and Kagome thought he might actually be considering what she'd said, but then he threw back his head and laughed, and her stomach knotted up at the sound. It had a maniacal ring to it.

"This is rich," he jeered. 'You," he gestured with his knife towards Kagome, "you're trying to protect her, and she, she's trying to protect you. But you're both so pathetically weak that I could kill her _and_ you both in the blink of an eye if I wanted to, starting with _her_." Lokki's voice hardened into an ugly sound, the arm that had been encircling Yukino abruptly tightening as he spoke. "But neither of you get it. She's mine," he intoned possessively, his lips moving suggestively closer to the column of Yukino's throat as if he meant to nuzzle her. "She goes where I go; and you, _Kagome_," again he pointed the knife at Kagome, a strange smile curling his lips, "-- you're just a relic from the past that needs to learn its place. All it takes is a little pressure here," he murmured, and he began to squeeze Yukino's throat with the crook of his elbow, blocking her air, her face beginning to turn red, "-- soon she'll black out. And then," he looked menacingly at Kagome as she took a step forward as if to try and stop what was happening, but the knife in Lokki's other hand came up threateningly, and she hesitated, "then, there'll be no one left to get in the way. No one left to save poor Kagome, who can't even save herself."

He laughed when he saw her look at the knife in his hand, but the sound was short lived when there was a dull thud and the sound of rapid movement near the door. It was followed by a loud _THWACK!_ and Lokki's howl of pain as he loosened his stranglehold on Yukino's throat and rounded to meet the new assailant that had just attacked him from behind.

"Try that again and I'll slice her open!" Lokki threatened, his arm anchoring Yukino more securely to his body when he saw the long haired man with the staff standing behind him.

"Oh I don't think you will," the man said smoothly with an enigmatic smile, "or she would have been dead long before now." He took a step forward, swinging his staff, testing its balance as he eyed his opponent. "Anyway, I believe you just said that Kagome-sama was your target but you have that wrong as well. I'll be your next opponent. Kagome, move back, " he warned, his amber eyes flickering briefly in her direction before going back to Lokki.

Kagome's mouth dropped open when she saw Shirogane, her heart beating wildly as he stood in front of Lokki, exuding an overwhelming dominance that reminded her forcibly of Inuyasha.

Lokki's eyes flickered to Kagome as she scrambled backwards out of the way, and then he cast a calculating glance back at Shirogane, disliking how quickly the odds had turned against him in this fight.

"Just who the hell are you?" he snapped.

"I am no one," Shirogane replied with an arrogant tilt of his eyebrow, crouching low, getting ready for the strike he knew was coming, "come to save Kagome just as you surmised. And since I can't take your head, I'll be taking the red-headed miko instead, along with the Tama you hold in your hand."

"The hell you will!" Lokki growled and he shoved Yukino's semi-conscious form to the ground, lunging with his knife poised to strike towards Shirogane.

59


	5. 05 When Two Souls Collide

That Which Shines Brightest

Chapter Five

Biting her lower lip, Kagome watched tensely as Lokki hurled himself toward Shirogane, her gaze flickering between the two men and the half-slumped figure of Yukino. Just as soon as Lokki was safely past her and had his full attention focused on Shirogane, she tottered forward, her heels making her movement precarious as she picked her way through the debris until she reached Yukino and slid her hands beneath her arms, her voice muted as she tried to rouse the young miko.

"Yukino, can you hear me?" she murmured, grimacing as she tried to hoist the younger girl off the ground. Her body was just too heavy to lift without a little assistance from Yukino herself. "Yuki-chan," Kagome tried again, scooting around until she was facing Yukino.

Yukino's eyes fluttered half open, a glazed look in them and Kagome threw a quick glance over her shoulder at the two men whose movement was alarmingly erratic. There had been a much more comfortable gap between where she and Yukino were and the threatening presence of Lokki just a split second ago, but Shirogane's long staff was driving him back in their direction. She needed to get Yukino out of harm's way before Lokki was close enough to use her as a tactical weapon. Almost as if he was aware of her thoughts, Kagome saw Lokki turn, looking for Yukino, a scowl on his face when he realized that she was trying to move her.

"Come on, Yuki-chan," Kagome urged again, softly patting her cheek, "I need you to help me. We need to move. You're brother is here. He's fighting for you."

"Onii-chan?" Yukino mumbled thickly, and Kagome nodded in encouragement as Yukino blinked several times, her eyes becoming a little clearer.

After a few seconds she turned her head and looked at Kagome who felt a rising urgency that she tried not to show now that they were within arm's reach of Lokki, and she had yet to get Yukino to budge an inch.

"Can you move?" Kagome asked patiently, her eyes again flickering furtively over her shoulder, relieved when Yukino nodded. "Don't worry, I'll help," Kagome assured a little more hurriedly this time, when it seemed Yukino almost collapsed, too weak to stand on her own.

With a few unbalanced wobbles as they stepped around fallen timbers, Kagome managed to get them out of the way, panting a little, her eyes drawn like a magnet to the open doorway that was directly opposite them. Would it be possible for her to get them across and out on her own? She might be able to help Yukino climb out. The problem was maneuvering all the way over there without running into trouble –- here Kagome's attention momentarily shifted to Lokki – and whether or not Yukino was strong enough to actually attempt the climb. Kagome shot a calculating glance at the flame-haired miko, realizing at once that they would have to rely on some other means of escape. Yukino's head hung down and she too was panting, and Kagome could feel that she had been pushed beyond her endurance, her body held up by sheer will alone.

"Hang in there, Yuki-chan" Kagome said bracingly, the hand she had wrapped around Yukino's shoulders giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Your brother's skill with the staff is amazing. I don't think he can lose."

Wearily, Yukino raised her head, and began apprehensively watching the battle, her eyes more on the jewel clutched in Lokki's hand than on the battle itself.

Unaware of Yukino's focus, Kagome's admiring gaze followed the flowing grace of Shirogane as he feinted and attacked, his handsome face contorted into a scowl of concentration as he worked to keep Lokki off balance. But after a moment, she shifted uneasily, realizing that the two combatants were once again drawing too close for comfort.

"We need to move again, Yuki-chan," Kagome said, her arm tightening around the younger girl as she looked at her ashen countenance, afraid that Yukino would pass out. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Yukino replied, sounding a little stronger much to Kagome's relief.

Slowly they began moving, trying to stay out of the way of the two men but this time, there was no stopping to rest, the battle becoming intensely fierce, their movement everywhere now, and Kagome felt a jolt of alarm when she heard Yukino mumble, "This is not good, Kagome. He's toying with Onii-chan."

A feral snarl curled Shirogane's upper lip, a drop of sweat falling into his left eye as he surveyed the swarthy complexion of Lokki. Sliding his hands along the bo, he took a step forward and made a feint, flourishing the bo so that its movement became blurred and then he quickly dropped it to make an upwards vertical nagi strike from torso to chin watching as Lokki once again easily evaded, moving to the side and back out of range. It was just as he'd feared, he surmised grimly. The youki from the Kinmotsu no Tama was being assimilated into Lokki's system and he was gaining physical strength from it. Already his reflexes were faster, and Shirogane couldn't touch him with any of his attacks; but still he had no choice but to continue pressing ahead, watching as Lokki made wild leaps to counter his attacks, while he tried to unravel the strange game the possessed man was playing.

And then it hit him, the minute he saw Kagome and Yukino trying to stay out of their way. They had moved in front of the well and now Lokki was between them and Shirogane.

"Kagome!" Shirogane called in warning but it was already too late.

With a triumphant gleam in his eyes, Lokki was ready for his finale. He threw his knife straight at Shirogane's chest with a quick flick. It flew with such lightning speed that Shiro barely had time to try to deflect it downwards. He heard his sister's horrified scream as she saw his face twist into a grimace of pain as it sank into his flesh, all too aware that Lokki had turned, lowered his shoulder and with a low laugh had tackled them knocking them over the edge and into the blackness of well, quickly following after them.

"No!" Shirogane snarled in strangled denial as he gritted his teeth against the pain blossoming in his leg. Using his bo to bear some of his weight, he limped forward, with an outstretched hand, listening in agony to the echoing screams of his sister and Kagome combined before a bright light shot up out of the well cutting them off abruptly.

With shaking fingers he pulled the small switchblade out of his thigh and let it fall carelessly to the well floor. Clutching tightly to his bo, he vaulted over the rim of the well, his silver braid whipping around in the air behind him as he began to fall through darkness. _Please, _he prayed, his hand pressing against the throbbing wound on his leg, feeling the warm wetness that was seeping through his slacks, _let there be enough power left in my blood to get me through_.

"Let her go!" Kagome yelled, jamming her feet against Lokki's legs for leverage and pulling at Rin's arms to try and free her from Lokki's clutches as they fell through the portal, Lokki fighting just as viciously to keep his hold on her as Yukino too struggled to free herself.

This journey reminded Kagome sickeningly of her very first time through the well, when she had been captured by the centipede mononoke, fighting to be released, but suddenly everything came to a crashing halt, with her on the bottom. Her head exploded in pain and she was unable to breath as Yukino and Lokki collided against her at the bottom of the well.

"Onii-chan!" Yukino screeched, over and over again as she clawed at the arm that held her in place, "Let me go! Onii-chan. Where did he go? What did you do to him?" she sobbed, all too aware that Kagome lay unmoving beneath her.

The side of Kagome's head was covered in blood and Yukino immediately saw why. She had hit her temple on a half-buried stone at the bottom of the well… _oh no_… _surely she wasn't dead?_ Yukino reached a hand out towards Kagome but before she could touch her, Lokki hauled her to her feet.

"Leave her," he said in clipped tones as he headed for the side of the well, despite all of Yukino's pushing and kicking, and she knew that as he absorbed more and more youki into his system the likelihood of her getting away from him became slimmer and slimmer. Throwing her over his shoulder, he began to climb, and she didn't even bother to resist.

"I'm glad you've finally decided to see things my way," he murmured snidely.

"Please give the Tama back to me, Lokki," Yukino desperately pleaded, "can't you see that it's manipulating you."

"On the contrary, Sweetness," Lokki retorted, as he rapidly scaled the wall, reaching the top where he paused briefly to add, "it's given me exactly what I wanted."

To prove his point, he let his hand slide suggestively along the bare flesh of her leg and up her thigh until he felt her stiffen, and then he laughed softy. He stopped however when he turned his head and he saw a bare-footed, long haired man dressed in a red kimono and hakama standing a few feet a way, his sword drawn, glaring at him.

"This is new," the stranger drawled his eyes roving over Lokki's countenance, not missing the Kinmotsu no Tama he held clutched tightly in the hand slung over the side of the well's edge. "Usually when scum gets thrown into the well, it doesn't come back out."

Lokki scowled and finished climbing out, slowly moving away from the well and Inuyasha followed his movement, never dropping his sword.

"Let her go," Inuyasha growled, and watched as Lokki lowered Yukino down on the ground in front of him, letting her body slide possessively against his, just to let her know who ws still in charge, despite how things might appear.

Yukino stifled a shiver of repugnance as she turned around to face forward, her eyes widening in amazement.

"Inuyasha," she murmured, stupefied.

Inuyasha's brows shot up in surprise.

"Do I know you?" he asked her warily.

"N-no," she stuttered, about to add something more but broke off as the labored sounds of ascent emerged from the well. "K-kagome?" she breathed hopefully and watched Inuyasha's head jerk around, a staggered expression on his countenance as a man with a face similar to his own with amber eyes and silver hair emerged, covered in a film of perspiration and an agonized expression as he struggled to heave himself over the side of the well, Kagome slung limply across his shoulders.

"Onii-chan!" Yukino screeched straining to move forward against Lokki's ever restraining hand when she saw her brother.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha barked at the same time. _She was here!_ His heart pounding out of control, he took a halting step in her direction, glaring at the man carrying her when he realized that she was unconscious. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"If you want to blame someone, blame me," Lokki murmured maliciously, amused at how quickly Inuyasha's attention had strayed. "She was fighting with me to free Yukino when we fell through the well, so I'm responsible for her condition. Raise your sword, Inuyasha," he goaded with a gesture. "Come on, lash out at me! Let's see what you can do!"

"Don't," Yukino cried, shaking her head fearfully, but Lokki kept her from saying more by moving his hand to her throat and tightening his fingers around it. "That's enough out of you," he muttered.

"Stop, Lokki!" Shirogane growled angrily watching his sister's face change color, her breath rasping in her throat in an effort to draw in sufficient air.

Gently laying Kagome on the ground next to the well, Shirogane struggled to rise back to his feet. The deep gouge in his thigh, already throbbing from the climb out of the well, had begun to cramp from the continued blood loss, and the muscles in his leg started to stiffen and seize up. He was in no condition to fight. As much as he hated it, he must rely on Inuyasha for now, waiting for a chance to lend a hand when he could.

"Fine," Inuyasha spat, again he turned his attention to Lokki, his sword pointed menacingly at the dark headed man. "But if you want to test my strength, stop hiding behind the little red-head!"

Lokki's lip curled into a satisfied smirk and he let go of Yukino who sank to the ground, gasping for breath. Immediately, Shirogane lurched unsteadily forward, his head beginning to feel light as he helped his sister off the ground. He managed to make it back to the well before his knees buckled and he slumped down, his back against the splintered wooden well wall, tightening his jaw as he tried to push back the darkness that was intruding upon the edges of his vision..

"Enjoy her while you have her," Lokki said with a flicker of disdain as he watched Shirogane move his sister towards Kagome's supine body, "because you won't keep her long."

As soon as they were out of the way, Inuyasha raised his sword and charged.. Lokki just stood there, unflinching, and at the very last moment, he dodged. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he pulled up and turned, giving the dark figure a calculating glance, his eyes dropping to the glowing Tama he held so protectively in his hand.

_So that's it, eh_ Inuyasha thought to himself, grimly noting the look of satisfaction on Lokki's face had grown.

"You're a fast bastard," Inuyasha denigrated, "I'll give you that, but I doubt you'd want to face me in the light of day."

"Is that it?" Lokki sneered, "Is that all you can do? One little attack and then throw insults at me?" he laughed mockingly. "That priest put up a better fight than you did, and all he had was a stick!"

Inuyasha growled, his brows twitching in anger and then stiffened in surprise when he heard Sango's voice from behind him.

"Careful, Inuyasha," she warned as she emerged from the trees, holding her Hiraikotsu slung across her back.

"Sango…" Inuyasha mumbled diffidently, his face turning red, "when did you guys get here?"

"About the time you started sniffing around the well," Shippou exclaimed gleefully as he made a beeline straight toward Kagome.

"Shippou, don't bait Inuyasha" Rin murmured quietly, as she pulled up the rear, her hand automatically reaching back for an arrow in her quiver, a strange feeling beginning to settle in the middle of her chest the closer they drew to Lokki.

"This guy is no ordinary human. He smells strongly of youki." Sango observed as she came to a halt next to Inuyasha, her eyes moving critically over their opponent.

"Aye, tell me something I don't know," Inuyasha snorted before he glanced at the small, yellow feline sitting snugly atop Sango's right shoulder. "Kirara," Inuyasha said gruffly, "go protect Kagome."

Kirara raised her eyes to Sango's face, looking for her master's approval. Softly, Sango touched the top of her cat's head and nodded. With a meek mewl of acquiescence, Kirara jumped to the ground and transformed, becoming larger and more formidable in appearance before padding in the direction of the well. She growled hostilely at Lokki as she passed by, but gave him a wide berth, aware of what her orders had been.

"Inuyasha," Rin spoke hollowly from behind them, but neither he nor Sango heard her at first, too startled by the piercing glow that had suddenly erupted inside the Tama Lokki was holding, as he approached them, the air beginning to swirl around him, moving outward in a widening circle.

"Inu… yash…a" Rin's voice was a mere croak of a sound and this time both Sango and Inuyasha turned together to see her standing there, a stricken look on her face, her breathing harsh.

She had nocked an arrow in her bow, but it hung useless at her side and she was trembling all over, her kimono glowing brightly in the center; right where the Shikon no Tama hung around her neck.

"It's reacting to his Tama," Sango gesticulated in alarm, "move her away, Inuyasha," she cried as she grasped her Hiraikotsu and took a few steps forward, heaving it at Lokki.

Not surprisingly he dodged it, but Sango had already pulled her choku-to from its scabbard and was ready to make a slashing attack. With determination she rushed ahead, her blade gripped tightly, trying to anticipate his dodges. Only this time he didn't dodge. He caught her hand, halting it in its forward motion. Their eyes locked; hers full of shock, his brimming with dark chaos. Then he brought his knee up, brutally catching her in the stomach before he knocked her aside, and she went down, gasping for breath.

He didn't even wait until she hit the ground before he was moving onwards and Sango couldn't even cry out a warning when she saw his target.

Inuyasha had just gently put Rin to her feet, when he pivoted on his heel to find Lokki moving his way, his dark eyes, focused intently on Rin, the energy of the Shikon no Tama drawing him inexorably towards her. The wind started moving again the closer he drew to them, as if the two energy sources were colliding

Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga,

"Shippou, come and get Rin!" he commanded, not taking his eyes off of Lokki.

Lokki turned his head sharply as he saw the young kitsune break away from the small crowd around Kagome and head towards Inuyasha. Immediately Lokki changed directions, planning on intercepting him and laughed softly when the small tyke's face quivered in alarm. How did Inuyasha expect such a timid creature to defend Rin when he himself was terrified? But Lokki's amusement didn't last long. There was a loud _POMPH_! and Shippou was gone, replaced by a huge, pink, bloated, creature which began ascending into the air above his reach.

He floated towards Inuyasha but was slowed by the whirling winds surrounding Lokki. Slowed, but not stopped, Lokki realized, grinding his teeth in frustration. Deprived of his tiny target, he brought his gaze back down to Inuyasha who was smiling smugly now.

"He won't get away with the miko," Lokki said, cracking his knuckles. "I defeated Sango. I can defeat you just as easily before he even has a chance to reach her."

Again he changed directions, charging towards Inuyasha and with one punch, he sent him skidding back, flying in midair until he landed on his back.

"That felt good Inuyasha," he laughed harshly flexing his hand, feeling a new power coursing through his veins. He advanced while Inuyasha clambered to his feet and looked up at Shippou who was still struggling to get to where they were. "One more then?" Lokki grinned maniacally as he too looked up at Shippou before rearing back his hand for another jab.

Inuyasha went flying once more, the force of the blow tearing open a deep jagged cut high on his cheekbone, and Rin was left standing alone, paralyzed, her breathing shallow as she stared in dread at Lokki.

"Hello pretty girl," Lokki murmured, his eyes sliding over her face before dropping to the bright glow at the center of her chest. "Show me what secret treasure you have hidden," he said covetously, reaching up, his hand sliding between the folds of her kimono.

"Stop!" came an enraged howl, as a tall, lithe figure with long flowing hair the color of the sea erupted from the trees. "Don't touch her!"

But it was too late, Lokki's fingers had found what he was looking for and they pulled at the beads connected to the Shikon no Tama, bringing it out into the open so that he could see it.

His lips curved into a smile, and he murmured, "Finally. This is what you were looking for, isn't it?"

He wrapped his fingers around the Tama, preparing to yank it free from its moorings but lost his grip when he was blown off his feet as all hell broke loose.

Atsuji raced across the clearing, "I'm coming, sweet miko!" he declared with sappy fervency, reaching back over his shoulder for his spiked Chigi-riki mace, his steps slowing and his eyes widening in incredulity when he watched his opponent get flattened by a shockwave of raw energy that exploded from the Shikon no Tama –- it almost flattened him as well and he braced his legs apart, finding it difficult to maintain his footing as the grass beneath him was being ripped ruthlessly up and blown away.

Finally the energy abated, and he was able to move without fear of being bowled over, but yet again his steps faltered, his blue-green eyes bulging as he watched a giant, fiery evanescent form emerge from the Tama.

It was an Ijin: a harrowing being of little substance, formed mainly of malevolent thought and energy, its shape changing as it shifted in the wind. Its torso was anchored firmly to the Shikon no Tama that still remained around Rin's neck, who stood, imprisoned by its power just as it was imprisoned by the purifying power she commanded over the jewel.

It flailed its arms, silencing the wind around Lokki by creating its own powerful vortex that served as a type of barrier around Rin, and Shippou went bobbing swiftly away from the creature, as it looked down at Lokki, drawn to the energy source that had extracted it from the Shikon no Tama, agitated by the dark energy of the Forbidden Soul. Lokki slowly gained his feet, and looked at the Kinmotsu no Tama in his hand, fascinated to see that it was pulsing like a heartbeat.

_It still wanted the Shikon no Tama_.

If he could get it, then his powers would increase tenfold!

_I must get the Shikon no Tama_ he thought emphatically, his fevered musings interrupted when from the corner of his eye, he saw a huge, flaming arm move with lightning speed, and he barely had time to evade it before it left a singed scar on the ground where he had been standing.

Lokki backpedaled, scowling up at the Ijin, then turned his head to see Inuyasha moving purposefully towards him, his sword in his hand. Again the Ijin swung at him, and he eluded it. Inuyasha was forced to swerve out of the way as well, but his recovery was quicker, and this time when he swung his sword at Lokki, he had the advantage of diversion on his side and he didn't miss. His blade sliced through the leather on Lokki's jacket before Lokki could switch his focus to compensate and bit into the flesh of Lokki's shoulder.

Inuyasha watched as enraged color suffused his opponents face and he charged forward, but both he and Inuyasha were forced to break off and back away as the Ijin put its fist right into the middle of where they were, leaving nothing but scorched earth.

"No! Inuyasha!" Shirogane called, struggling to stand on his own. "No blood! That only empowers him!"

Inuyasha turned his head and shot Shirogane an exasperated look. "Just how do you expect me to fight him then?" he ranted, "killing him with kindness isn't gonna work!"

Again Inuyasha and Lokki were forced to dodge the Ijin's heavy handed swing and before Inuyasha could make another attack against Lokki, another stranger stepped close to him, a youkai, and for the second time that night, someone he'd never met before addressed him by name.

"I am here to help, Inuyasha! I will help you –" he declared fervently, breaking off and ducking out of the way, momentarily scooting away from Inuyasha as the fiery fist once again came crashing down. "— I will help defeat the Ijin and rescue the miko!" He finished dramatically after rejoining Inuyasha at a safer spot, ignoring the stony stare directed at him.

_All these freakin' people! I don't have time for this!_ Inuyasha seethed silently as he cast a quick glance at the Ijin and then took a quick swipe at Lokki, missing completely, his attention scattered by the youkai's arrival.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded coldly trying to pull his thoughts back into focus.

"I am Atsuji, firstborn son of Gyousei, great daiyoukai of Shikoku," Atsuji replied, "and I am here here, uh, I am here, uh" he stumbled over the answer for that one, finally adding brightly "I am here to save the miko!"

Inuyasha was in no position to argue with him. He was, after all, a youkai. His reflexes had to be faster than Inuyasha's, but, Inuyasha thought dubiously, eyeing Atsuji's Chigi-riki, how were his weapon skills? Somehow, Inuyasha didn't think they were too good considering how awkwardly he was holding his weapon, as if he was unused to it being in his hand.

"Are you sure you know how to use that thing?" Inuyasha asked doubtfully.

"Certainly!" Atsuji replied confidently. He lifted the mace, brandishing it with a flourish before swinging it experimentally, his eyes widening in surprise when the spiked head shot off and a chain came slithering out of the grip. "Of c-c-course I – I meant to do that!" he stuttered, and raised the mace over his head, ducking to the side to avoid hitting himself with the long spikes as the chain snapped back and sent the ball swinging haphazardly to and fro..

Inuyasha's lips compressed into a thin line as he watched Atsuji began to swing his weapon, the chain moving in an uneven circle.

"Gah! You're more worthless than Shippou!" he declared waspishly, "I'll do this myself," he said dismissively, his head swiveling back in Lokki's direction watching as he tried to move toward the Ijin and the Shikon no Tama, "you just stay out of the way. – HEY!" Inuyasha shouted, ducking to his knees, his hair flying over his head and into his face as he heard the soft and lethal sounding _WHOOSH!_ the Chigi-riki made as it whizzed by his ear. "Watch where you swing that thing!" Inuyasha demanded harshly, glaring as he stood back up, and then dodged to the side as Atsuji closed in on Lokki and attacked, as the spiked tip of his weapon went flying forward and then came flying back.

"Atsuji!" Inuyasha blared in aggravation, noticing that Atsuji's last volley had actually done some damage to Lokki who had been unable to move fast enough to block it, striking him in the back of the leg.

"Uh, s-sorry," Atsuji replied, getting red in the face. He was preparing to launch another attack when the Ijin struck down at Lokki and they all had to scramble to get out of the way.

"This is getting us nowhere," Inuyasha declared grimly, his eyes flitting to Rin, whose body was beginning to sag. "The longer this battle goes on the more it affects her."

"What is fueling it, I wonder," Atsuji mused worriedly.

"It has something to do with the connection between Lokki's Tama and the Shikon no Tama," Inuyasha replied.

"So, if we break the connection, then we can get rid of the Ijin. The obvious solution then is to defeat Lokki and carry his Tama farther away."

"Heh…" Inuyasha snorted derisively, "You make it sound like it's easy, but that's what I've been trying to do. It's not so easy. He's siphoning energy from that thing!" Inuyasha gestured scornfully towards the Kinmotsu no Tama.

Both Atsuji and Inuyasha watched Lokki doggedly move forward to try and get close enough to get the Shikon no Tama, but the Ijin kept him at bay even though Lokki's speed seemed even faster than ever.

"All right then," Atsuji said, his face becoming more determined, and Inuyasha suddenly experienced a moment of extreme apprehension. "No more playing around then."

He turned his head and looked at Inuyasha, his aquamarine eyes solemn as he said, "You might want to move back some. I can't guarantee my aim or direction for this."

Inuyasha shot an alarmed look at Rin, and put a restraining hand out, "Oy," he called, "If it's that dangerous, then maybe you shouldn't…"

But it was too late. Atsuji had already begun swinging his mace and Inuyasha could see a huge amount of blue youki gathering above it, slender points emerging from the center to form a radiant star.

"Holy hell," he muttered to himself.

Turning his head, he searched for his friends finding Sango first who had joined Shippou and the others at the well, his eyes coming to rest lastly and lingering upon Kagome who still lay unmoving upon the ground.

Shifting his attention back to those who were conscious, he shouted the warning, "Find shelter!"

Then he stepped closer to Atsuji, his eyes sliding from Lokki to the Ijin and lastly to the frail figure of Rin. He didn't care if Atsuji blasted the first two to hell and back, but he'd be damned if he let anything happen to Rin.

As the roaring sound continued to build, Lokki suddenly seemed to become cognizant of it and he turned, finally distracted from his quest to possess the Shikon no Tama to see Atsuji and Inuyasha standing there, their hair being whipped around by a turbulent wind, a massive star forming over Atsuji's Chigi-riki and he began to experience his first real taste of foreboding.

"Why are you still here?" Atsuji yelled above the thunderous noise his Chigi-riki was making. "My Blue Star Burst is dangerous, I tell you!"

"Do you think I'm going to run for cover like some baby?" Inuyasha snorted. His brown eyes went to Rin's forlorn figure, his grip tightening on Tetsusaiga, and he thought of Kagome lying unconscious over by the well. "I have people I need to protect. I will stay here and make sure that you don't screw up!" He declared, turning to glare meaningfully at Atsuji.

"Understood," Atsuji acknowledged with a brusque nod.

He made one last circuitous swing with his Chigi-riki, and then, gritting his teeth, he slammed its motion forward, releasing its energy, attempting to force the star directly at Lokki and catching the chain with his left hand on the rebound. The huge ball of youki shattered almost immediately into a thousand thin projectiles that hurdled everywhere. They seemed capable of changing direction weaving in and out of each other as they raced around and Inuyasha was forced to cover his face with the sleeve of his fire rat kimono, when he felt them come ripping at him slicing into his wrist and hand, aware that Atsuji was a victim of his own youki, snarling in pain as each shard of energy sliced into his unprotected flesh.

If they were hitting Atsuji, they could very well be hitting Rin as well, and in concern Inuyasha peered cautiously beneath his sleeve watching as some of the projectiles hurdled towards her and the Ijin. Fortunately the vortex seemed to slow them down, and diverted a good many of them away from her so only a few seemed to be reaching her. But even one was too many, Inuyasha thought vehemently.

"Dammit, Atsuji!" Inuyasha hissed, "are any of these things hitting the right target?"

"I dunno… can't see…" came the gurgled reply, as Atsuji went down to his knees, his hands in front of his face.

"You're a moron, you know that, right?" Inuyasha complained caustically, his hand still in front of his face to help buffer the pain as he grabbed the back of Atsuji's kimono and started dragging him backwards, trying to get him out of harm's way.

"Wait, Inuyasha," Atsuji, forestalled him, as he took a peek between his arms not sure if what he was seeing was real. "l-look!" he cried tremulously.

Inuyasha paused and again peeked beneath the long drape of his sleeve, his eyes widening in incredulity. Atsuji had indeed actually hit what he was aiming for: Lokki was being bombarded by thousands of shards of light, his head thrown back as if he was wailing in pain, but no sound emerging as a darkness enveloped him so that he looked like nothing more than a shadow.

"What the?" Inuyasha breathed slowly, bringing his arm down now that the youki was abating, as he observed the pulsating darkness that surged over Lokki's body, covering him entirely, save for the Tama that he held in his hand which glowed piercingly bright as if it was battling the darkness.

There was a sudden ringing noise that rose in pitch until it splintered into light, breaking free from the Tama and surging over Lokki's body with an incredible swiftness and blinding intensity that lasted only a brief second and then it was gone.

And so was he.

All that remained was the Tama and a shadow that dissipated as the Ijin rammed his hand through it.

"Is he dead?" Sango asked, confused as she watched from her vantage point at the well.

"No," Shirogane murmured, stunned by what had just occurred, "Only transformed. His his body has become vaporized and his soul has migrated … I hadn't believed it possible…this is completely unexpected. The Kinmotsu no Tama has lost…"

"You didn't think I could do it, did you?" Atsuji mumbled in a slurred voice, swaying to and fro, his face and body bleeding heavily. "Who's the moron now?" he demanded and Inuyasha watched him go crashing to the ground, losing consciousness from the battering he took from his own attack.

"You are," Inuyasha replied, a sardonic twist to his lips. Hurriedly he sheathed Tetsusaiga and reached down, once again grabbing Atsuji by the scruff of his kimono and dragging him safely outside of the reach of the Ijin. He was still breathing. That was a good sign, Inuyasha observed dryly before he headed towards the Tama glowing brightly in the grass only to pull back when he heard Shirogane calling his name once again.

"Don't pick it up!" he cautioned. "Or you will succumb to its power the same as Lokki!"

Casting a quick look at the Ijin and then at Rin who was splattered in blood, thanks to Atsuji, Inuyasha trotted over to where Shirogane stood, propping his hip stiffly against the well, blood oozing slowly down his leg, his face a ghastly pasty color.

"You wanna tell me what the hell just happened out there," Inuyasha demanded, looking coldly at the silver-headed priest.

"Looks like you won, Inuyasha," came the oblique reply, "but only for the moment. The Kinmotsu no Tama was trying to completely possess Lokki, only…" Shirogane trailed of losing himself in his own musings.

"Only what, shinkan ?" Inuyasha prodded impatiently.

Shirogane's eyes shifted to stare directly into those shaped so like his own. "Only it lost; for what reason, I can't tell you, Inuyasha. For five hundred years our family has kept watch over the Forbidden Soul, keeping it safely encompassed behind a barrier where it could not be corrupted and could corrupt none that came into contact with it. Until today, we have fulfilled that task flawlessly… so this is a first for us as well. All I know is that the energy of the Tama combined with that youkai's weapon acted as a catalyst and allowed Lokki to throw off the possessing power of the Kinmotsu no Tama."

Inuyasha blinked disbelievingly at Shirogane as he digested everything he'd said.

"So, where did he go then?" Inuyasha asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Shirogane shrugged. "You saw as well as I did everything that happened, so your guess is as good as mine."

"Gah!" Inuyasha snorted, turning impatiently and stalking a few feet away, staring at the Tama, the Ijin and Rin, who remained trapped between the conflicting forces.

"So you're saying he could still be out there somewhere?" Inuyasha waited for Shirogane's affirmation before he added, "Then my guess is because he's had a taste of all that power, he'll come back wanting more."

"Well, that's partially true – and then there's the fact that he's assimilated some of the power of the Tama. So he has an imcomplete conscience that he's carrying around inside his head – apart from his own, that is." Shirogane remarked.

"Fabulous," Inuyasha muttered sourly.

"So how do we get the energy back into the Tama?" Sango asked in concern.

"Well I think the answer to that question lies in the defeat of Lokki," Shiro replied slowly.

"But a bloodless defeat, right?" Inuyasha retorted acrimoniously rolling his eyes, "like that's gonna happen."

"We'll have to find a way to make it happen, Inuyasha," Shirogane replied sternly, a thread of something Inuyasha couldn't quite define running through his voice as he added, "not everything can be won by brute force."

Inuyasha's head jerked around at that and he gave Shirogane a sharp look before his gaze slid to Kagome. His actions were not lost on Shiro who smiled knowingly as Inuyasha scowled and looked away, back towards the glowing jewel in the grass.

"Well what do you suggest we do with that?" He gestured to the Kinmotsu no Tama that still lay undisturbed, glowing eerily, the inside roiling with color. "You won't let me pick it up, but someone needs to," he remarked crossly, "and you're in no condition to do it."

"I will do it," Sango volunteered, moving forward.

"No," Shirogane objected, reaching out to stop her and wincing in pain from the sudden movement. "The Kinmotsu no Tama is not like the Shikon no Tama. It was not born from the heart of a miko. There is nothing but pure evil at its core, and it has been bathed in corruption since it has left my family's shrine. Until it can be purified, and constrained, none can touch it but those who have been trained to deal with its insidious intent to mislead and possess."

"I will do it," Yukino volunteered tremulously, rising to her feet from where she rested next to Shippou and Kagome. She turned her wide blue eyes to Inuyasha, meeting his dark, penetrating gaze bravely, only faltering when he tilted his eyebrows at her torn lip, his eyes staring pointedly at the bruises he could see on her legs and the ragged condition of her uniform.

"You can barely stand," he criticized with a slight curl to his lip. "Do you really think I want to be dragging your lifeless corpse back here to your brother when that Ijin," Inuyasha paused and pointed at the demonic creature that still railed furiously, its movements aimless since it no longer had a human target. "when that Ijin smashes your head into the ground!"

"I'll do it," Shirogane spoke up grimly, ignoring his sister when she turned and gave him an alarmed look.

"No, onii-chan! You can barely stand!" she fretted, and then she turned pleading eyes to Inuyasha. "Please, don't let him go! He can't move well enough to get out of the way should that thing attack! I should be the one to go! I'm the one whose duty it is to purify the Tama! It is only logical that I be the one to go!" She argued desperately but no one seemed to be listening to her.

"What if we use Kirara, Inuyasha?" Sango suggested, "she can carry Shirogane close enough to get the Tama."

Inuyasha considered it for a moment.

"It might work if you and I can draw it from the ground and Suzu can keep it busy from the air as well." And then he looked around at the trees. "Suzu!" he called and heard her resounding laughter bounce back at him as she fluttered towards him from out of the forest, landing on his shoulder. "You're the only one who had sense enough to stay put this entire time," he muttered, offering a soft stroke to her feathered breast as she nibbled on his ear. "Shippou, give me some mushrooms." Inuyasha held his hands out and Shippou dug around in his pockets.

The minute he had them in his hands, Suzu's feet began to work on his shoulder and she anxiously cried, "_Ha, ha, ha, ha_!"

Inuyasha gave her one and then pointed to the Ijin. "I need you to transform and show him your cutting scythes. If you do, I'll give you all of these." He showed her the pile he held cupped between his palms and she danced happily on his shoulder. "But you only get them if you come back safely, Suzu, so you can't get too close to him or you'll get burned. Do you understand?"

Whether she understood or not, Suzu was ready to go. She'd already left his shoulder, transformed and was eagerly winging her way towards the Ijin.

"Wait!" Inuyasha called, thrusting the mushrooms at Shippou and running after her, as she circled back, chattering at him in what appeared to be impatience. Inuyasha turned to the others, watching a little dubiously as Kirara sidled over Shirogane's pain stiffened frame. "Do you think you can do this, or should we substitute your sister instead?"

Shirogane ignored Inuyasha's question, and straddled Kirara, his jaw clamped tight as he fought the pain that was spreading from his thigh and into his hip and wrapping around to his buttock. "I need my staff for leverage," was all he said. "It's at the bottom of the well. I couldn't carry it up along with Kagome."

Seeing Inuyasha's thinly veiled impatience, Sango quickly volunteered, "I'll get it," and agilely jumped to the bottom of the well.

"Hurry up," Inuyasha called brusquely down to her before turning on his heel and moving away, "I don't want to make Rin wait any longer than necessary."

Once Shirogane had his bo, he balanced it across his lap, before asking to borrow Sango's scarlet sash. Wrapping it securely around his hand, he gave a nod and now they were ready. Sango picked up her Hiraikotsu and together the small group moved as one, warily approaching the Ijin and the weary figure of Rin.

Left behind, Yukino knelt beside Kagome, her fingers pulling at the grass around her knees, as she waited tensely for her brother to reach the point when he would be within reach of the Ijin. Suddenly she felt a small warm hand touch her arm and she looked down to see Shippou staring earnestly up at her, a reassuring smile affixed to his cherubic countenance.

"Don't worry," he said with a pat, "I know he doesn't look like much right now," he paused and cast a sideways glance at the raven haired man in the red kimono, "and I know he looks like he could get smooshed faster than you can say, _O su wa ri_! But deep down, Inuyasha's really, really strong. And he's been fighting demons for a long time!"

Shippou nodded encouragingly, his little face glowing, and Yukino tried to take what he said to heart, but there was something about the word "smooshed" that made her insides congeal.

"You must be a great friend of Kagome's to have brought her back here," he noted, turning around and plopping down beside Kagome, smoothing the hair away from the gash at her temple in concern, noting in relief that even though the wound was thick with blood, the bleeding had, for the most part, stopped.

"W-well," Yukino hedged, feeling uncomfortable with the word 'friend'. Friendly would not be a word she would use to describe how she'd treated Kagome – she couldn't even say she'd been cordial, and yet Kagome had risked everything for her. It made her feel wretched. "We didn't actually come here on purpose, Shippou – it was Lokki and the Kinmotsu no Tama that brought us here."

"It's been _s-o-o-o-o-o_ long since I've seen her. I've really missed her! I hope she'll stay this time," he fretted, and then he turned his limpid green eyes to her and implored, "do you think you can help me to talk her into staying? Please?"

"I don't know that I'm exactly the right person to be asking," Yukino mumbled uncertainly and then quickly drew in her breath when she saw her brother almost fall from Kirara as the Ijin lashed out at him.

"Oh no!" she cried, hiding her face in her hands, and then peeking through the cracks of her fingers.

Fortunately Sango and Inuyasha were there to rush in to draw the phantom's focus and he took several lumbering swings at them, giving Shirogane a chance to recover. After that, there were no more close calls and it was over very quickly. Suzu positioned herself in just the right spot and her wind attacks did a superb job of attracting the spirit's attention long enough for Kirara to pause and Shirogane to reach down for the Forbidden Soul. Then Kirara took to the air, flying back towards the well.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the Tama, Shirogane experienced an unpleasant jolt of awareness. The whispers; they were there, but they were not focused on him. They were seeking themselves – their other half. Closing his mind to their probing, Shirogane pulled out an ofuda talisman from the coat pocket where he always carried them. Then unwinding Sango's sash from around his hand, he whispered an incantation, wrapping the talisman and the jewel together inside the sash, creating a seal that served as a makeshift barrier. The Soul still needed to be purified, but it would do to keep the Shikon no Tama from reacting with it until the purification ritual could take place.

Slowly the turbulent wind and the Ijin faded, and Rin, finally free, dropped weakly to her knees as Inuyasha and Sango raced towards her.

Her face felt funny, she thought; stinging and wet, and her body felt heavy too. But overall she was just thankful to have survived. She lifted a shaking hand and wiped at the droplets she felt clinging to her cheeks, her fingers coming away bloodstained.

"Rin!" Inuyasha called.

She raised a grateful smile to him as he reached her side with Sango lagging behind.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, startled.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. I knew you'd save me…" she paused and gave him a searching look. "You weren't actually worried, were you!" she teased weakly with familial affection and watched the color fill his face.

"Of course not" he declared, thrown off balance by her unexpected levity, unaware that Sango who was standing behind him had rolled her eyes. "I knew we'd get you out safe and sound." He reached down and gently helped her to her feet, grimacing at the scratches on her face and the small rips and blood stains on the sleeves and bodice of her kimono. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," she replied cautiously, pushing back the thick voluminous fabric encasing her arm to examine it. It was littered with long bloody looking scratches. Up until now, everything except her face had felt pretty numb, but she knew from the way her chest and legs were beginning to sting that they were probably covered in scratches as well. "Nothing too serious," she replied easily. "Something I can probably fix on my own without Kaede-bachan's help, even!"

"Hurray for you," Inuyasha replied without any real enthusiasm, and then surprised her into silence by adding the backhanded compliment, "Hardly a challenge for one of the best mikos I know."

Turning on his heel, Inuyasha strode away from her, past Sango, and grabbed hold of the still supine Atsuji. He began dragging him back towards the well, as he threw over his shoulder, "We should get back to the village then so we can let you practice your skills on those that offer a better challenge – like this poor excuse for a youkai." Inuyasha made a disgusted gestured down at Atsuji's slack face. "I predict he's going to kill himself with his own weapon one day. He's lucky that it wasn't today."

"Poor thing," Rin murmured as she and Sango kept pace behind him.

Inuyasha grunted noncommittally but didn't reply. His eyes were fixed on Kagome and Shirogane and Inuyasha couldn't walk fast enough to get to where they were. Running was out of the question. Not with that silver-headed Shirogane leaning against the well there next to her, Inuyasha reflected darkly. He had gotten there first thanks to Kirara, damn him!

What was he to her anyway? Inuyasha wondered grumpily,

_And why the hell does he look so much like me?_

All those questions that had been bubbling in the back of his brain since he'd seen Kagome and these strangers emerge from the well came to the fore. He would wait until they got back to the village and had had a chance to rest before he tried to find some answers. But first, getting there might be a little more difficult that he'd anticipated.

"I said I will carry her!" he glared defiantly as he scooped Kagome off the ground, trying hard to keep the color of his face from matching that of his kimono.

"But it's a long walk back, Inuyasha, and you've had a rough night," Sango contended, trying to make him see reason. "Shippou is taking Atsuji, so let Shirogane steady her in front of him on Kirara."

_Hell no!´ _Inuyasha thought mulishly. That was the same thing as letting him embrace her, and he'd rather die before he had to sit there and watch that all the way back to town!

"I said I would carry her, and I _will_ carry her," he reiterated through gritted teeth, wondering in some vacant part of his brain when she had gotten so heavy.

In reality it was not her body that had gotten heavier, but his muscles that had gotten weak. The battle with Lokki had been extremely fatiguing, more so than he first realized, he mused with chagrin now that he stood here bearing Kagome's weight.

"It's all right, Sango," Shirogane murmured with a detached wave, "leave him be. He's obviously not thinking of Kagome at all, only of himself."

Inuyasha's back stiffened at those words and he felt his ire begin to build.

"I guess it hasn't occurred to him that Kirara can take us by air back to the village much faster than it will take to get there on foot. By the time he arrives, Kaede-sama could have already attended to Kagome's wounds – but, if he wants to carry her, let him carry her."

"Fine, we'll do it your way," Inuyasha muttered ungraciously, stomping forward, a fire banked in his eyes as he gently placed Kagome in front of Shirogane.

Shirogane immediately wrapped his arms around Kagome to keep her in place, her head falling back against his shoulder, and Inuyasha's jaw tightened, but there was little he could about the situation. It wasn't as if Kagome could _help_ the position she was in anyway, he forcibly reminded himself. As he prepared to step back he turned his head, and saw the slight smile that curved Shirogane's lips and realized immediately that even though this man appeared to be an ally when it came to fighting demons, he was an extremely dangerous enemy where Kagome was concerned.

"Inuyasha," came a hesitant voice from behind him and he turned, slightly disconcerted to see Yukino standing there. "Could you lend me your arm on the way back?" she asked haltingly, averting her gaze from her brother, when she felt his thoughtful gaze rest lingeringly on her.

"Yuki," her brother called, beginning to rise painfully from Kirara, "you take my place, and ride with Kagome. You've been through enough today."

"No, onii-chan," she replied woodenly, turning her shoulder to him, "you are the one that needs to ride. Your wound is much more serious than mine, and I don't have the strength to keep Kagome from falling. As long as I can have Inuyasha's shoulder to lean on, I will be fine." She raised her questioning gaze to Inuyasha who was not looking at her, but at her brother.

He was surprised by the anger that flashed in Shirogane's eyes, wondering why it would be there. But he didn't care. Let him be angry, he thought with savage satisfaction that bordered on a kind of revenge. This was for his sister's benefit.

"Aye, I will help you," Inuyasha finally replied amiably enough, adding, "and maybe you can tell me on the way back how it is you came to know my name."

Yukino's eyes widened imperceptibly and she cast a sideway glance at her brother seeking help, but he just shook his head in warning.

"Oh, well, that yes, well… that," Yukino stuttered, while Inuyasha waited less than patiently, "Maybe Kagome might have mentioned your name…?" she finished lamely.

Inuyasha's strange look and the looks on the rest of Kagome's friends' faces clearly told Yukino that her lie wasn't going to wash with them.

"Let it go for now, Inuyasha," Sango suggested softly, and Inuyasha gave a curt nod but looked over at Shirogane expectantly.

Shirogane met his gaze steadily and avoided the subject completely by saying, "I will see you back at the village."

The small smile of encouragement he gave to his sister was met with a dull stare before Kirara took to the air, bearing them off into the night and as they faded into the dark skies Inuyasha muttered sourly, "Your brother is an ass."

Yukino felt her cheeks flush in anger. How dare he insult onii-chan! she fumed indignantly.

"It's a trait that's been inherited from his bloodline for many generations, apparently." Yukino's response was a little too implicit for safety's sake, but she was too incensed at that moment to care. However, she knew it had been a mistake to say it when Inuyasha's arm tensed beneath her fingers as they began the long, arduous journey back to the village.

NOTE:

**Shinkan **is a term used to refer to a Shinto priest (Houshi is for Buddhist priests)

**Choku-to** – straight edge sword that is shorter than a katana, predating 1596 and often prefferd over the katana because of the faster draw speed (because of it's length and lack of curvature)

**Lokki** pronunciation: Lō kē / Low key

81


	6. 06: Respite for the Weary

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Respite for the Weary**

Smelling the scent of Rin's blood on the wind, Sesshoumaru takes action. Inuyasha is alone with Kagome for the first time in 10 years, and Rin is embroiled in a kissing lesson

Chapter Six

A cold wind howled down the steep mountain slopes of Taisetsu-san, sweeping the snow from the peaks in huge whorls like the breath of God, and still it could not wipe clean the scent of blood that clung to the air. Deep in the heart of Hokkaido, in the imposing, fortified castle that had once belonged to the father of his mother, the fortress that he now claimed as his own, Sesshoumaru stood beyond the wooden sliding doors of his private chambers, outside along the wooden veranda, the engawa, feeling some of that same wind pull at the empty, left sleeve of his kimono and whip the long strands of his silver hair into a wild frenzy.

It was her blood. He'd known it immediately. This was different than the blood that she shed during her monthly cycle just before her womb became fertile. And that could mean only one thing: she had been wounded.

_Inuyasha, you have failed me yet again._ he thought irritably.

Turning abruptly, he slid the door panel back and stepped into his chambers. "Jyaken," he called in his low, smooth voice and immediately heard Jyaken's querulous answer from somewhere down the hall close by.

"I'm coming, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

With a low bow, Jyaken presented himself to Sesshoumaru and without a flicker of an eyelid, Sesshoumaru said, "Prepare Aun Un. We are heading south."

_South? Rin's blood_. Jyaken himself thought he'd smelled it earlier and he knew that Sesshoumaru-sama's keen senses would not have missed it. That must mean his lordship wanted to check on Rin himself, Jyaken reflected jealously.

Jyaken rose from his bow, his brow wrinkled in concern as he sought an excuse. "South, my lord? Eh, but there is a blizzard blowing across the mountains, Sesshoumaru-sama, and…"

"_Jyaken._" Sesshoumaru's voice was just as smooth as before, and still it somehow managed to take on a slight edge that made Jyaken begin to sweat.

"Ah, ah, y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama, I will prepare Aun Un immediately, my lord!" Jyaken stuttered, wisely squelching the urge to say more, and hurriedly bowed himself out of the room, muttering heavily under his breath to no one in particular.

Left alone to wait and plagued by a vague restlessness, Sesshoumaru found himself once again outside along the narrow engawa, slowly walking its length, meditatively eyeing the cold mountain crags and gorges that had been the home of his mother's clan for centuries. Even Bishamon, the Black Warrior, had learned to eschew Taisetsu-san at times like this, but Sesshoumaru bowed to none; not even the mighty mountain and its fearsome winds.

It never occurred to him to acknowledge that had it been for any other reason besides Rin, he never would have considered venturing out.

Behind him, Sesshoumaru heard the subtle swish of the screen panel sliding open, but he didn't turn, fully expecting it to be Jyaken with news that all was prepared for their departure.

"Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed upon hearing the soft, velvety voice hail him from behind.

"Mizuna," he murmured, her name a displeased hiss.

His mouth pulled into a forbidding frown as he rounded on her, his tawny eyes looking critically over the provocative woman in front of him. As usual she was dressed in the unfamiliar garb that the round-eye strangers wore, preferring it to the traditional dress of her own people since she felt it flattered her figure. A tight fitting, black corset laced up over a thin, white cotton chemise only enhanced the size of her large breasts, pushing them up to the point that they always seemed to be threatening to spill out of the gauzy material that covered them and her snug, black breeches clung to her well rounded hips, disappearing into the and doe-colored, soft skin boots which were also more like those that he'd seen the round-eyes wearing on occasion. One of the few claims to tradition that she allowed herself to carry was the long, slender yari that she wore slung diagonally across her back.

It was the traditional weapon of her clan and she'd mastered it with deadly precision – unlike her brother, Sesshoumaru meditated with scornful amusement, whose incompetence around anything with a blade had prompted his father to commission a special Chigi-riki be made for him by Toutousai. A mistake, as far as Sesshoumaru was concerned. The young fool, who rivaled his sister in beauty, was abysmal in combat.

Which was perhaps why Mizuna was so skilled, he further reflected. She wished to outshine all; even her own sibling. Again he eyed her carefully cultivated beauty in a detached way, seeing a very alluring, very prettily wrapped package; one designed to stir the blood of the male species, both youkai and human alike. How unfortunate, he concluded coldly, that it seemed she had neglected to attend to what was on the inside with as much care.

"You have been forbidden to come here when the moon is dark, Mizuna," he chastised her coldly, "so why are you here?"

Mizuna raised a languid hand and pushed at the few stray locks of aqua hair the wind had pulled free from the high pony tail she wore near the crown of her head.

"What if I told you that I came here because of the Hunt?" she replied provocatively, sauntering towards him with a decided sway in her hips, watching his face carefully for his reaction.

Sesshoumaru didn't even blink, but a shadow of something akin to distaste flickered across his countenance, and she wondered if she'd imagined it. Stopping in front of him, just close enough to let her breasts brush his chest, she raised her chin and looked up, wanting to break his cool façade.

"You shouldn't have come. If that is all you wanted, you could have found someone among your clan in Shikoku to sate your desire. I am not your rutting toy," he told her frigidly, and watched her exquisite, porcelain complexion flush dull red, an ugly frown of fury marring her perfect features.

"How dare you!" she spat, raising her hand, her claws extended to strike at him, but he caught wrist, his tawny eyes flashing in warning.

"How dare _you_," he retorted softly, deadly, his fingers squeezing her wrist before he let it go, "when I have given you the protection of my name and you defy my rules. Do not expect me to treat you kindly, Mizuna, when you have disobeyed me."

Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and calmly strolled away from her, the bitter wind ruffling the soft fur wrapped around his shoulder as he again looked to Taisetsu-san, ignoring Mizuna's seething presence behind him.

"Sesshoumaru-samaaaa!" Jyaken called, stepping out onto the engawa, "I have prepared Aun Un just as you -- oh," he paused, when his lamp-like eyes caught sight of Mizuna's well-proportioned figure standing halfway between him and his lord. "Mizuna…" his tone was far from welcoming, and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw Sesshoumaru-sama spin on his heel and come sauntering back in his direction, the chiseled line of his jaw telling him that Sesshoumaru-sama was furious. "Y-you, you!" he pointed to Mizuna, scowling, "Y-You're not supposed to be here! Who - who let you in?" He cast a furtive sideways glance at his lord, hoping that Sesshoumaru would not rip his head off for Mizuna's impertinence in being there. "I – I am sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," he babbled, bowing low and sweating profusely. "I did not realize that she had let herself in."

"You are late," came the silky reply as Jyaken rose from his bow, pointedly adding, "we should have been gone by now."

"Gone?" Mizuna demanded faintly, taking a step towards them, feeling a burning resentment begin to build when the only one to turn and acknowledge her question was Jyaken.

_Damn Sesshoumaru! _He was supposed to be her betrothed, and even though he'd partnered her in the Hunt on numerous occasions, beyond those times he seemed impervious to her beauty.

"Where are you going?" she demanded petulantly.

Her eyes were fixed upon Sesshoumaru, who was walking away from her, moving towards the door panel to go back inside and it was Jyaken who answered her question.

"What concern is it of yours, eh?" he retorted with narrowed eyes as she ground her teeth in rising anger. "You're not even supposed to be here."

Then he too turned to join his master, realizing too late his mistake when he felt Mizuna's booted foot clout him in the side of the head as she kicked him sideways and out of the way.

"Ara!" he cried, stumbling into the wall as she stomped past him.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called imperiously, following him inside, hurrying to catch up with him as he moved toward the inside door panel, not stopping for her. "Sesshoumaru!" she called again, stepping in front of him and blocking his path so he could not pass.

"I demand to know where you are going!" Her frustration only mounted when he looked coldly down his nose at her and said nothing.

"I told you," Jyaken smiled gloatingly as he came through the outer door, pulling up the rear, the smile a bit lopsided since the side of his face was numb from her boot. "You're not supposed to be here, so Sesshoumaru-sama will not answer you. Go home, Mizuna."

A myriad of unpleasant expressions flitted across Mizuna's countenance before she finally managed to suppress them, turning troubled eyes to Sesshoumaru, and saying in a soulful voice, "But I can't go home! In reality the reason I came here is to ask for your help!" She reached out and laid a beseeching hand atop Sesshoumaru's that rested on the hilt of his deadly Toukijin sword.

Almost immediately he pulled his hand away, letting it drop to his side, and she was forced to pull back, trying not to show how much his rejection galled her. _She was the lily of her clan_. _Hundreds of Youkai had petitioned her father for her, _she seethed.

"Please!" she begged prettily, "I do not know what to do, and I know you can help me! My brother, Atsuji has gone missing, and I need your help to find him! That is the only reason that I broke your silly rule to come here!"

Silence invaded the room, and Sesshoumaru's eyes, if anything, became even more glacial as he stared down at her. He was always controlled, but for some reason, Mizuna felt a shiver of fear race up her spine, as if she sensed he were struggling with the urge to reach out and physically throttle her. Putting her hand to the lacy bow at her breast, Mizuna fought the desire to take a step backwards.

"Atsuji," Jyaken snorted, and watched as Mizuna reluctantly turned her eyes to him.

She didn't want to interact with him, a mere servant. She only wished to interact with Sesshoumaru-sama. However, what she'd failed to realize was that by sending her brother to spy, she'd betrayed his lordship. Sesshoumaru-sama might have forgiven her once, but now today, she had betrayed him yet again by coming here, and because of that, she stood on very precarious footing with him.

"Atsuji," Jyaken reiterated, his eyes narrowing, "Sesshoumaru-sama knows exactly where Atsuji is because I told him!"

"You know where my brother is?" she asked eagerly, her aquamarine eyes widening.

"Oh, you don't have to pretend," Jyaken murmured with sarcastic glibness, "Sesshoumaru-sama knows all about your games, Mizuna. Thanks to Atsuji. He followed your orders to the letter, trailing me exactly like he was supposed to. I imagine he's still right where I left him, east of the Shinano River – sniffing along after Inuyasha and --"

"Jyaken –" Sesshoumaru cut across Jyaken's dissertation, his tone latent with censure, and Jyaken realized immediately that he'd just revealed far more than he should.

With a flustered apology to his lordship, Jyaken subsided into silence, tucking his hands into his sleeves, his beak drooping into a disapproving frown as he watched Mizuna cast a sly glance at Sesshoumaru before launching into a tirade against him.

"Well why didn't he return with you then?" Mizuna demanded with a furious wave of her hand. "You must have forbid him to come! You know that he has a horrible sense of direction! He could be lost this very minute!" she ranted wildly.

"If you were concerned about his getting lost," Sesshoumaru finally intervened, his amber eyes cold and condemning, "then you should not have sent him in the first place." He looked dismissively past her to Jyaken. "Come, we are leaving," he commanded, not bothering to stop even when her shrill voice bade him to do so.

"You must help me find him, Sesshoumaru!" she shrieked, becoming alarmed, rushing down the hallway after him, elbowing her way past an affronted Jyaken and glancing apprehensively up into the remote profile of the great youkai that her father thought so much of. "M-my father," she hastily stumbled over her words, her composure beginning to crumble under pressure, "he is beginning to question me as to Atsuji's whereabouts since I am charged with his safety." A thread of bitterness tempered her voice, but Sesshoumaru seemed unaffected by it. "P-please, I know that I have disobeyed you," she stopped and bowed low, fury burning in her breast at having to adopt such a humble position just to get her way. "I swear that it will not happen again. If you will but help me find him, I promise to behave!"

Sesshoumaru paused in consideration, and Jyaken scowled when his lord turned and approached Mizuna's chastened posture. He stood tall and arrogant for a long moment before he reached down and slid his fingers beneath her chin, lifting it so he could examine her face.

From his low vantage point, Jyaken saw the resentment seething in Mizuna's eyes before she could extinguish it, but the question was did Sesshoumaru see it as well?

Sesshoumaru leaned towards her, his face just inches from hers, and she stifled a shiver at the cold, penetrating clarity of his gaze. "I will honor the contract I hold with your father, but heed my words well, Mizuna, for I will not say them again."

His voice was soft but menacing all the same.

"No matter what alliance lies between your father and I, you betray me once more and our betrothal is at an end." He leaned back then, his expression if anything becoming even more remote as he acknowledged, "Aye, I know where your brother is. I'm sure you have smelled his blood on the wind the same as I and are capable of tracking him just as well." He paused and watched her mouth tighten. "-- So do not come here and pretend to need my aid, when I know that your true desire lies in knowing why Jyaken would travel to such a far off place without his liege and hoped to discover the reasons for why your brother has failed to return home when he should. Did you truly think to learn the answers here?"

His eyebrow rose superciliously in challenge, and he turned away from her then, continuing on his way down the hall, throwing over his shoulder, "Track him yourself, or follow me if you wish, I do not care. But I warn you now, if you choose to follow me, and you fall behind, I will not wait for you."

Mizuna stopped, stiffening in fury, and felt Jyaken brush by her. The little green imp's low laughter made her ball her fists, and she vowed to herself that she, the lily of her clan, would make Sesshoumaru pay for her humiliation.

Inuyasha tromped into Kaede-bachan's hut after changing his kimono, washing the blood off his face and hastily winding a bandage around his wrist. His expectant gaze swung right and left, and the old woman sitting in front of the irori flames turned to look and see who had made such a noisy entrance. She grunted knowingly before returning to the stirring of her pot over the fire.

"Oh, it's just you, Inuyasha," she mumbled dismissively.

"Whaddya mean it's just 'me'?" he demanded in irritation, thumping across the floor to stand directly over her. "How is Kagome?" he asked in a cranky voice.

"She's going to be fine," Kaede responded, "a little bump on the head, one or two bruises on the ribs and a few other places, but other than that… she should be feeling much better in a few days. I managed to give her something to help the wound heal, and it will also help her sleep peacefully through the night."

"So when you gave her the medicine, baba, did she," Inuyasha paused, trying to keep his voice nonchalant, "—did she ever say anything?"

Inwardly he cringed, looking away from Kaede, aware that despite his efforts to the contrary, his voice had come out stiff and diffident and he stared at the wall, examining it with extreme interest while he waited for her answer.

Kaede gave the back of his head a discerning glance. "Nope –she never even regained consciousness," she informed him, not even pausing in mid-stir. "Are you hungry, Inuyasha?"

"Huh? No," he replied belatedly looking away from the wall in disappointment. "Where is she?"

Kaede made a vague gesture that Inuyasha assumed indicated the hut straight across from hers, and his eyes momentarily widened in surprise.

"Where is Rin?" Inuyasha asked, belatedly remembering his concern for her, having inadvertently gotten caught up in his obsession over Kagome.

"She's busy seeing to the others," Kaede readily informed him, remaining unflustered as he started to work himself up over that.

"What!" he cried, "But she should be resting, thanks to that fool Atsuji's lousy aim!" he gesticulated in irritation.

"She has far too much energy for a child her age to sit still for long," Kaede grunted and then glancing at him, added dryly, "I would like to see you try to keep her from doing what she deems a proper miko is supposed to do."

Inuyasha frowned at that, knowing that in Rin's mind, being a "proper" miko somehow ran the same course as doing her best for Sesshoumaru. How she'd reached that conclusion was beyond him, and he mentally shrugged it off though it was not easy. She was his friend and he cared what happened to her. He didn't want to see her keel over because of some misguided notion she held for his arrogant, good for nothing brother.

"What about everyone else, baba? Where are they? I thought they wanted to talk about what happened – ask some questions, get some answers--"

Kaede stopped stirring her pot one more time and fixed him with a beady eye.

"Inuyasha," she began, drawing in a deep breath, "I would think that being human this one night, you would know how it feels to be pushed almost beyond your physical capacity. Humans do not recover as quickly as youkai – and you should feel it, even if it's just this one night a month. Does your body not ache? Does it not feel heavy and drained?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, playing with the loose bandage around his wrist, but remained silent and Kaede sighed.

"Sango told me in detail about what happened in the forest tonight," Kaede murmured, rising slowly to her feet, her back bent by age as she slowly approached him and stared up at him, "and I have met the remarkable priest who is called Shirogane and have seen the horrible relic that must be borne by his family – he entrusted it to me for the night so that it could be safely enshrined."

Inuyasha waited for her to continue, growing uncomfortable when she just stared at him, her one good eye moving over his countenance as if cataloging his features.

"Stop that!" he growled. "He doesn't look like me!"

Kaede smiled dryly her voice even drier when she replied, "Oh, so you noticed it as well. Hmm. Maybe not so much tonight, but come tomorrow, I'm sure the resemblance will be more striking -- Perhaps he is your reincarnation, Inuyasha, although I must say, as a reincarnation, his manners are far more refined."

"Shut up, baba!' Inuyasha hissed, finding such an idea extremely disturbing, and then, "where is he? I want to talk to him!"

He wanted to know more about the Kinmotsu no Tama. Where exactly had it come from? It was a relic from this age, for Shirogane had mentioned the fact that it was five hundred years old, and yet, as far as Inuyasha knew, no one had ever heard of it nor had ever seen it. How could something that powerful exist in this world, and not have demons crawling all over each other, looking for it?

"It can wait for one night, Inuyasha," Kaede replied calmly. "Rin is caring for the wound in his thigh since my eyes are not what they used to be. You should let her apply some antiseptic to that cut on your face as well." She murmured with a passing glance at his face, gesturing to the ugly jagged cut that was beginning to turn red and yellow around the edges as she moved tiredly back to her pot. "Maybe even give you some of her special 'tea'," Kaede suggested, slowly resuming her seat, and ladling some miso into a bowl while ignoring Inuyasha's facial contortions at her words.

"I think I'll pas on that," he replied with a shudder. He'd had Rin's medicinal tea before when he'd been in his normal hanyou state, and even then, he didn't like it – it was an extremely potent opiate that, while dulling the pain, tended to also dull his ability to reason and react with the alertness necessary to protect the village and the Shikon no Tama from the dangers that threatened them. He would hate to think what it would do to him in his completely human state – most likely knock him flat on his backside, he thought sardonically; a place he'd been far too frequently that night already.

Kaede didn't seem surprised by his rejection and she didn't push the issue either, only saying, "If you're hungry, there's plenty to eat."

Inuyasha shook his head, finding the conversation at an end after that, and he turned on his heel, heading straight out the door into the darkness. He paused once he was outside trying to let go of some of the restless agitation he felt, but it was nearly impossible.

His eyes kept sliding to the lighted square of the familiar door where Kagome was. It had been so long. He wondered if she was alone. Without realizing it, he found his feet moving across the small lane until he was standing directly in front of the hanging shade made of bamboo.

"Shippou?" he called softly, but there was no answer. Cautiously, he peeked around the bamboo and saw that except for her, the hut was empty.

All caution was abandoned then, and he shoved the shade aside and quickly entered quietly crossing the wooden floor to kneel next to the tatami matting where Kagome was sleeping. Her face had been cleaned and there was a small thin line of fine thread near her hair line where Kaede-baba had stitched the gash. If it had not been for that jagged line, Inuyasha could have believed that she had fallen into a normal, peaceful slumber, for there was a slight pink color in her cheeks, her breathing was slow and easy and her brow was smooth, and untroubled.

_Ten years It hadn't seemed so long before, but now…. _

_Oh god,_ he thought as his eyes devoured her achingly familiar face, now, _it felt like had been an eternity._ Reaching out, he slowly ran his fingers along the silken raven tresses of hair that cascaded across her shoulders and fanned out over the thin blanket that covered her body. Then he brought his hand closer to her face, touching the soft, wavy tendrils brushing against her cheeks and he began smoothing them away, an expression of longing carving itself into his countenance.

"Kagome," he whispered raggedly, his fingers slowing.

A hunger began to build within him as he stared at her. He felt it pull him towards her, and he could not muster the will to try and fight it. Putting one hand against the ground he leaned forward, his face within inches from hers, and he felt his body begin to prickle with heat.

_No._ _Not like this,_ he told himself, and he shifted to the left just slightly, his nose almost brushing against the nape of her neck.

Slowly he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, knowing that in his human form her scent would not be nearly as strong. Perhaps that was why he wasn't prepared for the raw desire that exploded through him. With a strangled moan, he curled his fingers into a fist against the floor, his other hand coming up to gently cup her cheek, his thumb moving in a light caressing circle along her jaw. He fought to keep himself from pressing his lips against her throat, fought to keep his hand from roaming further down her body, reminding himself that she was in essence, his prisoner, unable to defend herself, since she was asleep.

Allowing himself one more deep breath, he then he jerked his head away, his eyes dilated with desire, his cheeks flushed, and his body heavy with need, and he stared at Kagome's unflustered, peaceful countenance.

"Kagome," he whispered again, thinking of Shirogane and how easily he seemed to hold her. Were they already lovers? "Please don't tell me that I'm ten years too late…"

Rin stood transfixed facing the bamboo shade outside Kagome's hut, brown eyes wide, her face flooded with color making the long scratches on her cheeks stand out even more. She had come to check on Kagome and when she'd pulled the shade back, she'd seen Inuyasha and Kagome in what looked like an embrace. Should she go away, she asked herself, making a half-turn, or should she stay? After all, Kagome wasn't awake…

Surely Inuyasha wouldn't try anything while she was sleeping, would he? she mused anxiously. Of course he wouldn't! she argued staunchly with herself. He'd been Rin's protector for ten years, and in all that time, he'd never done anything improper!

_Yes, but this was Kagome_ a little voice reminded her.

Right, she mused a little apprehensively, so his mind might not be working 'properly', for Rin had long ago learned from watching the men and women in the village that when it came to affairs of the heart, even the best of them sometimes strayed from what was seemly. Perhaps she should take one more, small peek just to make sure that Kagome was still okay, she decided, once again swiveling back around to face the door.

Putting out a tentative hand, she cracked the blind a tiny bit and saw Inuyasha leaning against the wall next to Kagome, one leg bent, the other stretched out in front of him, his head back, his eyes closed, a curious expression of mingled pleasure and pain written across his face. At least he was behaving himself though, she thought in relief, and with a whoosh, she let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Rin," Shirogane greeted her softly from behind, startling her and she spun on her heel, her eyes wide.

Putting her hand to her hammering heart she stared up at him in surprise.

"Sh-shirogane," she squeaked, "what are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting along with Atsuji." Her eyes slipped past him and to the right a few huts down, which is where she'd last left him. "That medicinal tea I gave you is quite strong. It is going to make you very sleepy, so you shouldn't be up and walking about Besides that, how do you expect the inflammation in the wound to ever go down if you don't rest?" she indignantly pointed out, adding for good measure, "and you need the inflammation to go down as soon as possible; otherwise, it is liable to become infected!"

"I do plan on resting, and I'm doing my best to take the weight off my leg even now. See?" he replied with an accommodating smile, presenting his staff with a flourish, "It's not just a humble priest's weapon, you know."

Rin didn't reply. She couldn't believe how much like Inuyasha he looked, and how Inuyasha's boyish smile held the same charm, -- when he wasn't trying to be cocky, that is.

She also didn't realize that she was staring at him until Shirogane pulled his staff back and settled it back on the ground, saying lightly to fill the sudden, prolonged silence, "I can see you're unimpressed. But I promise the only reason I came out was to check on Kagome. I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for trying to protect my sister today. After that I was planning on going –" he continued, but she cut him off, surprising him by stepping closer to him, actually taking him by the arm and turning him away from the door.

"Oh no," she protested hurriedly, "I just finished attending to her, and she needs complete rest – no disturbances."

"But if you just finished attending her, how come I found you peeking in on her?" Shirogane asked quizzically, giving her a strange look as she dragged him away from the hut, even though they moved at his slow, limping pace.

"Well, that's because I was imposing my own rule upon myself," she babbled with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, you couldn't express your, er, gratitude now to her regardless, because she's still sleeping." _Well…_ Rin silently comforted herself, pausing in the middle of the lane to glance back at Kagome's hut, _at least that part was true_.

It had been ten years since Inuyasha had had a chance to see Kagome, and Rin wanted her friend to have a little time alone with her since it might be the only chance he got. Who knew what kind of relationship this man, Shirogane, had with her? When tomorrow came and Kagome woke up, she might not even want to talk to Inuyasha. It was a horrible thought, and it made Rin want to cry.

"A- are you all right?" Shirogane asked, nonplussed as he watched the myriad of emotions wash across the young miko's expressive face.

He felt slightly alarmed when her lower lip began to tremble. She appeared to be such a sweet girl, but her moods were even more complicated than his sister's.

Seeming to compose herself then, she drew in a breath and the quivering stopped. "I'm fine," she managed in a normal voice, turning the conversation away from Kagome, to a subject that had concerned her earlier and one that she knew would concern him as well. "but I would like to talk to you about your sister. I'm worried about her."

Shirogane's face lost its amiable expression, becoming alert and guarded, and a trifle guilt-ridden as well, if Rin wasn't mistaken.

"You haven't checked on her yet have you?"

Rin's perceptiveness made him uncomfortable, and he somehow felt as if he'd done something dishonorable.

Not wanting to answer her, Shirogane looked away, requesting stiffly, "Tell me what it is that concerns you."

"She wouldn't let me examine her," Rin confessed, and Shirogane stopped walking, turning to look down at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, the image of his sister's defeated posture rising in his mind. Why would she shun help? Shirogane found the thought disturbing.

"She said she would do it herself," Rin replied, "and so I left her some things and sent Shippou down to the stream to fetch some extra cool water. He should be coming back soon."

Rin paused and looked down at her hands feeling slightly awkward. Even though he was a virtual stranger, his familiar face made her feel like she knew him, like her heart could trust him. And because of his sister, she wanted to share with him something that was very personal, but she had no wish to offend him or make him feel like she was prying into matters that didn't concern her. But just remembering the fragile look in Yukino's eyes when Rin tried to help her made Rin press on and she decided that, whether she offended him or not, she should speak her mind.

"I understand how it feels when something violent happens," Rin admitted hesitantly, feeling her way around the words, and fidgeting with the knot of her obi as they continued to stand in the middle of the lane. "My entire family was brutally murdered when I was just a child and for the longest time, I withdrew from the world and didn't speak. I trusted no one and then one day…I met someone… very special who helped me to get over my loss." She offered Shirogane an open smile. "He is like my family and I feel very fortunate that I had him to help me. I don't know what I would have done had it not been for him during that time.

"I think your sister is experiencing something similar to what I experienced. She's reacting to what happened with Lokki and she doesn't want any strangers --" she put her hand to her chest and said, "strangers being me, around her. I thought," Rin began to suggest, "that if perhaps you were to go and talk to her, or to help her, she might feel better…" but she realized immediately that she hadn't needed to suggest it at all, for Shirogane had already turned and was limping towards the place where his sister was lodging.

"Of course," he replied as he painstakingly made his way, and then looking back over his shoulder, he offered her a grateful smile, saying, "Thank you for being so concerned, Rin. You are very kind-hearted."

Rin waved away his thanks, relieved that he'd understood. "I'm a miko," she responded candidly, "it's my job to be concerned. Oh, and if you happen to see Shippou, er, tell him not to disturb Kagome tonight. I know how anxious he's been about her, but his visits with her will have to wait until tomorrow."

Shirogane nodded and she turned and headed home, towards the thatch covered hut that she shared with Sango, ready to turn in for the night. Stretching, her arms wide to relieve some of the tiredness she was feeling, she half-grimaced as her skin pulled at the scratches that covered her chest and stomach. How fortunate to have come through the night's ordeals with just a handful of cuts when it could have been far, far worse, she reflected, had it not been for the timely arrival of Atsuji, the youkai who had saved her. It was funny, she thought, as she passed by the hut Atsuji and Shirogane were supposed to be sharing, but the first time she'd seen Atsuji up close, she'd thought he was a woman, he was so pretty. It wasn't until she'd actually removed his kimono to attend to his wounds that she'd been convinced that she was wrong and that Inuyasha had been correct in calling Atsuji a "he".

Just then a loud crash came from inside Atsuji's door, interrupting her musings, and she jerked to a halt, craning her neck, startled. After the initial racket, silence reigned, but Rin's concern did not abate. Turning on her heel, she swerved towards the bamboo shade and looked past it, inside.

Gasping in dismay, she found Atsuji half-naked from the waist up, sprawled face down across the floor. Shards of broken pottery littered the area around his left leg which was still ensnarled in his bedclothes that had somehow managed to drape themselves across the top of a tansu, the place where the pottery had been stacked before he'd knocked it to the floor.

Apparently, Rin surmised from his outstretched hand, he was trying to get to his Chigi-riki mace that she'd put into the corner and out of the way. How he'd managed to make such a huge mess was quite amazing.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked faintly, rushing forward and unwrapping his awkwardly bent leg, feeling it through the dark blue folds of his hakama to make sure that no bones had been broken. "You're much too weak to be moving around!" she scolded, wondering how he could possibly still be awake, considering the fact that she'd given him the same medicinal tea that she'd given Shirogane – only with a higher concentration of herbs. He should be fast asleep by now, she thought in consternation, before reminding herself that a full-blooded youkai's constitution was quite different from that of a human's.

"I broke your pots," he mumbled weakly through the veil of blue-green hair that covered his face. "I'm sorry."

_Poor thing! He sounds so forlorn_, she thought, and her soft heart went out to him as she stooped to remove the broken shards.

"It's all right," she assured him with a smile, feeling bad for reprimanding him now. "Better to have broken pots than a broken Atsuji."

Once the sharp pieces were out of the way, she moved towards his bare back, looking at the huge lacerations she'd sewn up earlier, hoping that he hadn't accidentally ripped them open by falling. Compared to the light wounds that she'd received, his had been ten times worse, and she would hate to think what his Chigi-riki mace would be capable of if he ever learned to wield it properly. All that energy focused on just one target -- it might even rival the Tetsusaiga in its youki ability.

"You are so kind," he mumbled again, and Rin's lip quirked into a kind of half-smile. Two men in the space of a few minutes telling her that she was kind. She didn't feel that way. She just felt… like plain and simple Rin…

"I'm not being kind, you silly boy," she retorted lightly, sitting back on her heels, satisfied that no serious damage had been incurred, "I'm trying to keep you alive. Which is why you shouldn't be trying to move about on your own! At least not until your wounds start to heal."

One of Atsuji's beautiful aqua eyes peeked out at her from behind the hair and she smiled warmly at it, surprised when it seemed to upset him and he started to try to rise and stand.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked, surging towards him, latching onto his arm with both hands in alarm.

"You don't understand!" Atsuji panted, "I have to go. She'll know! She'll recognize the smell and she'll come! I've never defied her before, so I know she'll come!"

"What are you talking about?" Rin demanded, confused, trying to help him rise to his feet and subdue him at the same time to keep him from leaving the hut.

"She'll come looking for me!" he ranted wildly, "and because it all revolves around him, she'll try to get _him _to come along as well." He stopped and shivered.

"Who is she?" Rin asked, still completely lost, tugging on his arm and leaning back to keep him from swaying to and fro so much.

"My sister," he replied in a lackluster way.

"And the 'he' would be?" she asked absently, shuffling her feet, thinking how heavy he was as he dragged her forward, tottering off-balance.

"The most awesome, fearsome, youkai I have ever met. My sister's betrothed." For a moment he managed to stand straight, his eyes shining in admiration as he pictured in his mind's eye Sesshoumaru's remote features. But as the image faded, he began to sway again, like a giant tree caught in the wind in his efforts to take a step towards the door.

"And how do you know that they will come here?" Rin asked in a strained voice, still hanging onto him to try and keep him from going anywhere.

"Because --" his face flushed and he averted his gaze away from her. "I was supposed to return to her, and I did not. I wanted to stay where I was. I wanted to stay here."

"But now you don't?" she asked, still lost, a little relieved when he stopped moving.

"No," he shook his head, his eyes coming back to her with an intensity that made her want to blush, "I still want to stay, but I cannot. I cannot let her destroy this village because of me!"

Rin's eyes widened at that. "She would destroy this village just because you didn't return when you were supposed to?"

With a groan, Atsuji raised his hand and covered his eyes.

"I love my sister, but she has a terrible temper! She has done things much worse than that when she is crossed or does not get her way."

Rin privately wondered how a nice person like Atsuji could have such an atrociously ruthless sister like the one he was describing. It just seemed impossible. _Perhaps he was just exaggerating…?_ she mused, uncertainly.

"Well Inuyasha and my friends can keep your sister and her ferocious sounding betrothed from destroying the village so you needn't worry about that – all you need to worry about is getting better," she told him cheerfully, trying to lead him back to the tatami mat where he'd been laying, surreptitiously noting that his chest was covered with perspiration.

His body was not ready to be moving about, and no matter what he said, she needed to get him to rest she thought with determination.

"With your youkai powers, all you really need is a few days, and you'll be as good as new!"

She tugged at his arm, but despite all his swaying to and fro, his feet weren't budging. So she shifted, leaning towards him, her eyes pleading until she saw the torn expression on his face. Maybe switching tactics wasn't such a good idea, she concluded. So she pasted her encouraging smile back on and patted his arm.

"It's okay, Atsuji," she soothed in a motherly voice, feeling a little silly, since she was so small and he was so big. "Nothing is going to happen to this village. I promise you. Inuyasha protects this village and were he to fail, then I would seek help from his older brother Sesshoumaru, for assistance –"

Atsuji's arm jerked slightly, tensing beneath her fingers and she paused uncertainly.

"S-sesshoumaru?" he murmured breathlessly, his other hand coming up to cover hers, his eyes roving searchingly over her upturned face.

"Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's older brother," Rin nodded, "but I have known him since I was a child. He brought me here to this village, and I guard the Shikon no Tama as a way of helping him to accomplish his goal of…. – Are you all right?" Rin broke off, concerned by the frozen look that had congealed his features as he stared off into space.

"No, I'm fine," he mumbled, his body relaxing a bit as he brought his gaze back down to her, a calculating glint in his eye. "So he watches over you even now?"

"Oh no," Rin replied with a wan smile, trying to sound normal as she said, "I haven't seen him since he gave Inuyasha the right to protect me, which was ten years ago." She didn't want anyone to know how much she missed Sesshoumaru; not even this kind youkai who had saved her life.

"But what about when Inuyasha is in his human form, like tonight… surely he sends someone to watch over you then?" Atsuji asked casually, even though he already knew the answer to that. He was surprised by Rin's answer however.

"No," Rin replied slowly, "why would you think that?"

_So she didn't know, _he mused. _How interesting…_

"No reason," he replied innocently_, "_But you believe he would protect you and this village if you asked him to?"

"Oh yes," Rin nodded confidently, giving his arm one more tug, "but I don't' believe it will come to that." A pleased smile lit her eyes when Atsuji started taking small steps forward, allowing her to lead him back in the direction of his mat. "As I said, we can protect this village if we need to. We have been doing so for a very long time from many oni and tengu that seek to wield the power of the Shikon no Tama."

"Not only that, but I believe that once your sister realizes that you are safe, she'll just be glad to have you back, considering that you were almost killed!"

They were only a few steps away from his mat now and he stopped moving again, gently capturing her wrist in his grasp and not releasing it even when she tried to pull it free. Rin gave him a curious look, surprised by his action, but not particularly alarmed, for deep down she felt if he thought she was distressed, he would let her go.

"What if I said I would stay in exchange for a favor?" he asked, a childishly crafty look shadowing his eyes.

Rin offered him another friendly smile. He was so much like an anxious puppy that she found it hard to take him seriously. "I would have to ask what the favor was - but it would be hard to refuse you, considering you saved my life."

His next words wiped the smile off her face, replacing it with a tide of rising color.

"A kiss," he blurted out. "I want a kiss," and then just to make sure that she understood, "from you, not Sango, or the other girl…" he saw the blush, and thought that his chances were hopelessly abysmal so he desperately added, "I've never had a chance to kiss a human before! But ever since the first time I saw you, I've been unable to look away. You're so fair, and you have such an incredibly…_ sweet_ smile – and I have been wondering what it would feel like and, and –" he broke off, his eyes bulging and his mouth hanging open because she'd just said something and he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. "I'm s-s-orry. W-what did you say?" he stuttered, looking utterly disconcerted.

"I said that I'll kiss you," she replied serenely despite her heightened color, and then held up her hand, "but only one kiss, Atsuji, and then you have to lie down!" she ordered, privately wondering what had driven her to agree to such an insane thing.

She was just trying to be a good miko and get him to rest, but this really pushed the boundaries of what a miko should and shouldn't do! Her feelings of dismay faded a little at seeing Atsuji's pure and exuberant joy at her acceptance though. It was hard to feel upset when he seemed so happy!

She'd never seen anyone get so excited over the prospect of a kiss, but yet here he was, his whole face shining, his eyes brimming with excitement, and she had no doubt that if he'd had a tail, it would have been wagging. She did her best to suppress the bubble of laughter that threatened to spill from her lips at his complete guilelessness. It shone as an irrepressible sparkle in her own dark brown eyes that captured Atsuji's ever admiring attention, firing his excitement even more.

"Well since you've never kissed a human before, maybe I should take the lead," Rin suggested awkwardly. "If that's all right?"

After a moment of serious contemplation he nodded slowly, and again she hid a smile.

"All right then. The first thing you need to do for a proper human kiss is to be close to me, so I'll move a little closer," she said, inching a snail's breadth closer to him, not wanting to get too close.

"Okay," she craned her neck to look up into his face, feeling slightly absurd, since she had not the first clue as to what she was doing – but she didn't want him to know that. "The next thing you should do is close your eyes."

She paused until he had his eyes closed before continuing, her voice becoming softer. "The next thing necessary for a proper human kiss is the embrace. Your hands are supposed to be resting on my shoulders, but since you already have your eyes closed, I'll help you with that," she told him, and reaching down she lightly guided his hands to her shoulders. "You don't have to grip so tightly, Atsuji. You're not wrestling with a tanuki," she told him with a hint of laughter of in her voice. "That's better," she murmured when he lightened his grip. "Okay, third you need to lean down a bit," she told him, and watched as he bent his head, his cheeks becoming flushed in anticipation.

Standing on her tip toes, Rin leaned up and placed a small quick peck on his cheek and then brightly chirped, "There! You've been kissed! Now it's time to lie back down."

Quickly escaping from his grasp she motioned towards the mat, completely ignoring the comical look of dismay he was giving her.

"Hey!" he complained, his beautiful, azure eyes full of reproach, "no fair! That wasn't a kiss!" He put his hand to his cheek.

"It wasn't?" she asked with a surprised tilt of her eyebrow.

He continued to eye her, his lower lip protruding in a puppy dog pout as he admitted in a grumbling way, "Okay it was. "-- But it wasn't the right kind of kiss!" he sulked as he found himself being settled onto his mat, and tucked beneath the blankets once more.

Once she finished with the blankets, Rin paused and looked into his critical blue-green eyes.

Innocently widening her own she replied, "I thought you said you'd never kissed a human before."

"Well, I haven't," he mumbled grumpily, averting his gaze, his long lashes sweeping against his cheeks, "but I know what a kiss is supposed to be like!"

"Well you obviously have a lot to learn about humans then," Rin replied cheerfully, patting his shoulder before she rose to her feet, "because there are lots of different ways to kiss."

At her words his ill humor seemed to vanish, replaced by a sudden keen interest in what she'd just intimated.

"You'll teach me then?" he asked exuberantly and she felt her face flame.

"Er, no," she replied as she headed for the door, utterly appalled at herself for even giving him the idea.

"Oh, please?" he called after her, "Even if I promise to be a really good boy!"

"Not even then, Atsuji," Rin replied, pausing at the door, wishing more than anything to be outside where the air could bring some relief to her heated cheeks. "There are just some things that are not proper for a miko to teach you."

And with that she escaped into the night, leaving Atsuji staring morosely after her.

_Well_, he sighed to himself, putting his hand to his cheek as his closed his eyes, --it had been butterfly soft-- _… at least I know how one kind of kiss feels – but still… I want her to teach me the others! I want to know how those feel as well…perhaps tomorrow…_

And like a child who's had too much excitement, he was suddenly fast asleep before he could finish the thought.

Notes:

**Engawa** Narrow wooden veranda or porch that runs along the outside of upper scale housing

**Yari** a yari is a long spear pole arm

**Irori** the small fire usually found in the domo – the central workplace of the home – the domo always had an earthen floor although in nicer homes, the floor around the domo might be made of wood.

**Tatami** a rush mat of woven bamboo popular for sitting on, and at times sleeping on (futons are for sleeping but this became the regular custom after the feudal era)

**Tansu** storage chest

**Tanuki** a Japanese animal that closely resembles a cross between a fox and a raccoon and has many myths and legends surrounding it. Its English name means "raccoon dog" although it is neither a raccoon nor a dog. In the Japanese Anime "Inuyasha" Hachi is a tanuki.

92


	7. 07: What the Heart Knows

That Which Shines Brightest

**Warning This chapter contains adult situations**

**Author's Notes**

**What the Heart Knows**

Kagome agonizes over a question from Inuyasha while a brother's newfound awareness leads to an unexpected encounter that could have serious consequences.

Chapter Seven

Shirogane stopped before the door of his sister's hut and waved at Shippou who came bounding down the lane like a little rubber ball, rapidly approaching from the other side.

"Is that the water for Yukino?" he asked courteously, and Shippou nodded.

"Do you want to give it to her?" Shippou asked in his piping voice, holding the bamboo canister up, more than happy to pass the task on, his green eyes already straying eagerly towards Kagome's hut .

With a half-smile and a word of thanks, Shirogane took the canister watching as Shippou skipped off in the direction he himself had come. But then Shirogane belatedly remembered the message he was supposed to deliver and he turned and called out to the young kitsune who reluctantly turned in his direction.

Shippou took Rin's message hard, and Shirogane regarded his crestfallen expression with sympathy, for he well understood the desire to spend more time in Kagome's company – although he himself much preferred her to be conscious for the visit.

"There's always tomorrow," Shirogane observed, his words failing to noticeably lift the flagging spirits of the young fox cub. "She'll even be awake then, Shippou – you know sleeping people are terrible at holding a conversation."

Putting his fingers together in front of him, Shippou murmured ponderously, "That's true… but still… just to sit for a while in her company, even if it's while she's sleeping that is more than I have had in, in – _forever!_ – and there's so much that's happened! – and she could still listen!…." He heaved a defeated sigh, his shoulders weighted with the burden of disappointment, and waved goodnight to Shirogane.

Shirogane watched him amble slowly along the street like a rubber ball that had been slightly squished, until he was out of sight, and then he turned and entered his sister's hut. He was surprised at how chilly it was inside the small room and then realized that the fire inside the irori had burned low and almost completely out, allowing the late autumn night's air to filter in along with the long shadows of the evening.

Turning his head, he saw that his sister lay on top of her covers curled into a ball facing the wall, and the supplies that Rin had left her were within arms reach. Shirogane looked over the neat pile, noting that there was a small basin of water, some strips of cloth, a few rectangular tenugui towels, a cup of medicinal tea like the one he'd had, and a small crock of herbal ointment.

There was even a needle and some thread – for stitches, just in cast they were needed, although, Shirogane shuddered to think of anyone using the sharp metal to repair his sister's flesh without anything to deaden the pain. But then, he supposed that was what the tea was for. Still, hopefully the gash at the corner of her mouth was not too severe to require mending. All of these things however, even the water and the towels, remained untouched.

Taking a few limping steps towards her, he softly called out to her, thinking she might be sleeping. She didn't respond, and he stood there, deliberating as to whether he should awaken her or let her continue to sleep. Still undecided, he slowly bent at the waist, using his staff to keep his weight off his leg, and put the container of water next to the neat pile of other supplies. The lack of heat drew his gaze back to the irori and he plodded his way to the coals, finding the task of stoking the flames a wretched one as he bent, going to his knees, his face twisting into a grimace at the throbbing pain as the muscles contracted in his leg and thigh.

By the time he was done with his task, the fire was crackling brightly, and the searing heat began to spread its warmth to the corners of the little hut, the light gilding everything in its orange-gold color. Panting and weak, Shirogane remained motionless for a long moment next to the flames, waiting for the pain to subside, lacking the strength to rise back to his feet on his own. He wondered if perhaps the chill of the night would have been the wiser choice to the white hot pain that left him unable to move.

He closed his eyes, biding his time as he waited, mulling over the events of the day in his mind. A few minutes dragged by after what seemed like an eternity and Shirogane could feel the tide of the pain begin to ebb, his legs finally regaining some of their strength. Gripping tightly to his bo with both hands, he pulled himself shakily to his feet, a trickle of sweat inching its way uncomfortably between his shoulder blades beneath his shirt as his whole body broke into a clammy sweat.

Getting down on his hands and knees was not something he'd be doing again until his leg had healed a little more, he thought grimly, using his sleeve to wipe at the beads of perspiration that peppered his brow. But then his eyes caught the waiflike appearance of his sister as she huddled on the coarse cotton blanket in the corner. Her flame color hair was all tousled, and her legs were badly scraped and bruised. The long sleeves of her blouse hid the condition of her arms, but the fabric had become dirty and torn, as had the dark blue skirt she wore.

Shirogane's gaze wavered between the bowl of clean water and the hard-packed earth which had nearly declared its victory over him only moments ago.

The pain had been severe, but it was tolerable, he grudgingly tried to convince himself as he slowly limped back in her direction. And besides, this was for his sister who was the most important person in the world to him.

Silently groaning, he positioned himself in the most favorable spot he could find and with a great deal of trepidation, he lowered himself to the ground with the help of help his staff. Again he had to pause to recover, and after a few more minutes of panting and shaking, he picked up one of the towels and dipped the end of it in the clean bowl of water.

Ready to begin, he put his hand out, wanting to roll her towards him so he could reach her more easily, but was startled when she flinched at his touch.

"Yukino?" His amber eyes widened and he withdrew his hand, a bit puzzled and alarmed at her reaction.

Yukino slowly sat up, and turned to face him, but she kept her face averted, looking shamefully at the ground, her cheeks bearing track marks that looked suspiciously like dried tears.

"You were right, onii-chan," she murmured softly, almost too softly for him to hear, "all along you were right. I understand now why you're trying to replace me. A good miko would not have let any of this happen." She waved her hand around the room before letting it drop listlessly back into her lap.

A wave of dismay crashed over Shirogane, but it was fast being replaced by a rising tide of anger as the heart of what she said sank in.

"I am not trying to replace you, Yukino," he denied calmly, attempting to remain rational as he tried to make her see reason. "Where did you get that idea from?"

Yukino looked up then, a flash of anger sparkling brightly in her eyes before dying out. "Isn't that why you wanted to renovate the shrine, nii-chan?" she challenged him with a bitter smile, watching as Shirogane closed his eyes and wearily looked away from her. "Isn't that why you've have such a keen interest in Kagome Higurashi? To be a miko for our shrine? To replace me?"

"No!" he lashed out, his amber eyes snapping open, an anger he was tired of hiding flaring to life within their depths.

How sick he was of continually feuding with her over Kagome! Yukino didn't seem to understand what it was he was trying to do and it infuriated him.

"-- Not to replace you! No one can replace you, Yuki! That's the whole point! I want Kagome to become the miko for our shrine so that you no longer tremble in fear at the thought of having to enter the temple's domain, or worry about the purification ritual! I can't stand to watch that Tama drain the life out of you!" he ranted loudly, pausing for a moment when he realized he was letting himself get out of control, something he was not accustomed to. When he'd mastered his emotions once more, he continued in a more moderate tone. "Someone like Kagome might be better equipped to deal with the Forbidden Soul –"

"Why?" Yukino demanded resentfully, "because you think she's stronger?"

"No," Shirogane struggled to keep his voice level, clinging to his patience despite how his sister was pushing him, "because she's dealt with something similar to it in the past – The Shikon no Tama."

"But you said it yourself, onii-chan," Yukino argued, "the Shikon no Tama is nothing like the Forbidden Soul – it was not born from the heart of a miko –"

"It makes no difference!" He interrupted, running exasperated fingers through the silken strands of hair threatening to spill into his eyes. "She still has experience with the youki that pervades the Tama, Yukino. That is what counts. I don't understand why you're so unhappy about this! I would have thought you would be glad to be free from your duties concerning the Kinmotsu no Tama!"

Yukino stared miserably at him for a long moment, and when she spoke it was to pose a question of her own.

"Would you be glad to be rid of your duties, onii-chan?"

"Yes and no," he conceded after a moment's consideration.

"Why no?" she prodded. even though she already knew the answer.

"Because guarding the Tama has been a part of our family for centuries. It's not something that I can give up so easily – even if I wanted to."

She had predicted as much, knowing that even as he worked to free her, the Tama was what shaped his destiny, giving meaning to his existence. But for Yukino, the freedom he so wanted to give her was just an empty, barren place if it meant she had to sacrifice her love for him to gain it – and she knew he didn't understand that.

"That is also why I do not wish to give it up," Yukino earnestly confessed. "I may not have Suketsune blood running through my veins, but I do not wish to give up being a part of your family, nii-chan."

Shirogane seemed stunned by what she'd said and could find no answer for it, but she could see from his expression that it hadn't changed his mind concerning Kagome. Yukino's chest tightened as his implacable stubbornness bore down on her, and she found it difficult to breathe. _Be happy for him_, she told herself fiercely, knowing that was what she should do if she truly loved him. She should be happy for him and support him if this is what he truly wanted… she mused, if it _was_ what he _truly_ wanted…

"Do you love her, nii-chan," Yukino asked quietly staring at her fingers, pressing them tightly together, afraid to look at him.

Shirogane didn't say anything for a long moment.

"She is a very beautiful woman," he acknowledged softly, "she put your life before hers, and I will forever be indebted to her for that, Yuki. She seems very kind and warm and caring. What more could any man ask for?"

His words brought a shimmer of tears to her eyes and as he watched her, it felt like someone had stuck something sharp in the middle of his chest. He didn't want to be the cause of his sister's suffering, he thought, feeling helpless. He only wanted to alleviate it.

Yukino tried to take a deep, steadying breath, but the hard knot of misery in the middle of her chest made it difficult, and she stared dully at her fingers as they wavered and blurred.

Hadn't she done enough crying for one night? she asked herself sharply, surprised when her brother reached and out and engulfed her hands with his own. Raising her head, she blinked at the tenderness of his gaze, a sweet pain twisting through her until she realized the cruel trick her eyes had played. It wasn't tenderness but empathy that she was seeing.

"I can't say that I love Kagome, Yuki, because I don't know her well enough. And now with Inuyasha the hostile watchdog ready to gnaw my leg off at every turn, I may never get the chance." His words had been for her benefit, to lighten her mood, but his smile took on an ironic twist all the same as he squeezed her fingers before letting them go. "Still, that doesn't mean I should stop trying, does it?" he asked, wanting her to understand the way things had to be as he busied himself by dipping one of the cloths into the basin.

He had to try to find a way to end her fears, find a way to end her suffering, he thought with determination. Surely she would come to see that this was the only way?

"I suppose not," she replied with quiet restraint, resisting the urge to argue the point as she watched his long fingers compress the limp fabric, wringing the excess water from it.

His faint smile told her he was pleased she'd finally given in, and he was content to finally let the subject drop. Folding the cloth into a square, his hand came up in a beckoning gesture.

"Let me see your knees," he instructed softly and she slid them forward, laying them across his one good leg so he could examine and clean them.

"Would you promise me something then, onii-chan," she asked hesitantly, her eyes beseeching as he stroked and dabbed at the blood and dirt on her legs.. She wasn't quite ready to surrender, despite what her brother thought.

"And what might that be?" he inquired absent-mindedly while he worked, suddenly struck by the realization that beneath the bruises and scratches, his sister's legs were quite long and slender.

The last time he'd checked she'd had legs as straight as sticks: all bone and no flesh, and, feeling abashed, he wondered when they had become so shapely.

"If you find that even after you get to know Kagome that you can't fall in love with her, promise me that you will not… that you … that you won't…ask her to be… miko for our shrine," Yukino just couldn't force herself to bring up the subject of marriage, but it hung unspoken in the air between them, and she knew from the intense way he was looking at her that he knew exactly what it was she was asking him to abandon.

_But as long as he doesn't fall in love with Kagome, then that means I still have a chance,_ Yukino earnestly assured herself as she waited for his response.

The rigidness of her body while she waited for his reply gave him pause, and for reasons he couldn't explain, Shirogane suddenly desired to give her the answer he knew would bring her ease.

"I swear if my heart is not moved by Kagome Higurashi, I will not make her miko of our shrine," he pledged solemnly, his amber eyes steady as he watched his sister's tense expression, hoping to see it finally relax.

He was completely unprepared for the big, soulful smile that transformed Yukino's face, a face he was used to seeing every day, and one he thought he knew so well into something extraordinary. He felt his cool composure begin to slide when his heart skipped a beat and he turned away, momentarily distracted by it. In that one moment she had looked so grown up, and so very… he stopped himself from thinking any further thoughts.

_Of course she looked grown up; she would, after all, be starting her first college semester in the spring, _he reasonedtrying to rationalize away what had just happened_. But no matter how grown up she looks, _he forcibly reminded himself_, she is still your baby sister!_

_Perhaps_ so, _but not by blood,_ another sly voice rejoined, and he tried to squelch the quickening the voice had stirred within his veins.

_What in god's name was wrong with him?_ he thought, horrified with himself.

He used the excuse of dipping the cloth back into the bowl to regain his composure, wishing that he could use the cold water to wash away some of the heated suggestions that wanted to insinuate themselves into his head. Almost afraid to look now, he flicked a superficial glance at her legs. He pronounced them finished and allowed her to tuck them back beneath herself, secretly relieved to have them removed from temptation. Now that they were gone, he no longer had to stifle the unexpected urge to let his hands roam and explore their softness. He just had to deal with the smoldering fascination that remained which threatened to ignite uncontrollably, shaken by how his mind and body was suddenly betraying him.

"Let me see your arms, Yuki," he mechanically requested, waiting while she unbuttoned her cuffs and pushed up her sleeves.

Her left arm was bruised but less scraped, thanks to the protection offered by the long sleeve from her blouse, but as he looked at her right arm his gaze sharpened, and he gently grabbed hold of it and dragged her closer towards the source of light so he could see better.

"What the hell is that?" he breathed softly, looking at the ugly red and purplish spiral mark burned into her flesh.

It started at her wrist and wound its way up her arm, disappearing beyond the border of where her sleeve was pushed to her elbow. He traced the beginning of the groove with his finger and immediately she cried out in pain, jerking her arm out of his grasp. He let go and gave her an apologetic look.

"How did you get that burn, Yuki?" he wanted to know, watching her hold her wrist close to her body in a defensive position.

"It – it happened when I was trying to get the Forbidden Soul back from Lokki – ," she told him. "I managed to take it for a very short time, but it had already been corrupted – the whispers – they were more powerful than they had been before, and because I would not listen to them, I think it was their way of punishing me." Yukino's voice trailed off, and she looked away from him, feeling awkward beneath his intent stare.

After a moment he again reached out and gently captured her hand, examining the deep groove, thinking how hard it must have been to hang onto the jewel despite the intense pain.

"How far does it go?" He attempted to put the cloth to it to gently clean it and again she jerked away with a reproachful glare and he frowned.

"A ways," she muttered noncommittally, her glare wilting some beneath his continued frown. He was just trying to help she knew, but every time he touched her with the cloth it felt like he was scraping her skin off. "It's very sensitive," she mumbled defensively, her lashes sweeping against her cheeks as she dropped her gaze, feeling ashamed for being angry with him.

"I can imagine" he sympathized, "but it still needs to be cleaned."

Slowly she put her arm back out and as gently as he could he continued, hesitating when he reached her elbow, his vision suddenly beginning to blur slightly.

_Rin's tea must finally be starting to take effect_, he thought to himself. He'd best move quicker.

"Can you slide your blouse off your shoulder?" he asked her brusquely and she nodded.

"Onii-chan…" Yukino began querulously as she unbuttoned the first few buttons of her blouse, wanting to talk about the other issues that had been bothering her since they'd left the well and arrived at the small village. "What are you going to tell Inuyasha and the others tomorrow?

"About what?" he wanted to know, a slight crease forming between his brows as the blurriness in his eyes seemed to move upward, encompassing his brain, and a thick haze began to fog his concentration.

"About you; about the Forbidden Soul's origins… about everything." Yukino gingerly slid her upper arm and shoulder free from her blouse, exposing the ugly purplish spiral as well as the lacy, upper portion of her bra on the right side.

Shirogane's mind went momentarily blank, his sister's question forgotten as he stared at her.

_When?... When in hell did his sister get that? …_

God help him, but he couldn't seem to draw his eyes away from the enticing swell of Yukino's beautifully proportioned breast, momentarily thunderstruck. And what was worse was the rising urge to reach out and touch it. A silence fell between them, and he could feel her eyes on him, waiting for an answer and he tried to recall what she'd just said, struggling to arrest the disturbing emotions churning inside of him.

"I - I'm not going to tell them any more than I have to – I've already said enough as it is," he replied with difficulty, his thoughts in a muddled mess. "I think exposing the truth of our origins would only endanger the Suketsune line, since we do not know how much Lokki knows. If I told Inu- Inu-.." he paused, the furrow between his brows increasing, and he closed his eyes, and rubbed at them with his thumb and index finger, trying to clear his head.

"Inuyasha?" she supplied faintly.

"Yes, Inuyasha," he nodded absently, dropping his hand away, the frown still there, his eyes looking slightly unfocused.

"A-are you feeling all right?" Yukino stammered anxiously, and when he saw her concern, the furrow smoothed itself out.

"It's nothing. The miko, Rin, gave me something for the wound on my leg and I'm getting a little sleepy, that's all," he assured with a negligent wave.

Sliding closer to her in order to work on her upper arm and shoulder, he used the conversation and his job of playing nurse as a means of trying to keep his hands and mind busy. That way he would have less opportunity to let his eyes stray to where they shouldn't be. But with his mind becoming so unfocused, he found that holding a conversation was beginning to be very difficult, and despite all of that, his eyes, tended to stray anyway.

"If I told Inuyasha and the others about our family origins," he murmured slowly, his head beginning to hurt just from trying to concentrate, "and if the truth became widely known, then it would be dangerous for my ancestor – I would not want to put his life in jeopardy, Yuki –were he to become endangered, then in reality my own existence would then be in peril as well, you know."

Yukino mulled over what he said for a few moments, sucking in her breath as he worked to diligently apply the ointment to her upper arm before winding the strips of cloth around it to protect it and then she said in a tight voice, "So you'll tell them any resemblance to Inuyasha and his brother is coincidental?"

"It's the best answer that I have at the present time, since I can't think of any other," he replied, bemused, wondering how she could be so oblivious to the fact that his eyes were continually straying down to her chest, toward the lacy edge of her bra, and the creamy skin beneath it.

"And you don't think that they'll become suspicious at all?" she inquired as he moved to wring out the cloth once more, noticing that he took an abnormally long time, concentrating intently on the little bowl and the towel as if his life depended on it.

She wanted to ask him again if he felt all right, but she refrained, knowing he would again brush off her concerns.

"I'm sure they will, but we don't have many options at this point," he told her without looking at her, "-- as for the Kinmotsu no Tama – perhaps we can disclose a little more information about its origins just to try and keep everyone satisfied -- as long as it doesn't get too specific. Again, we can't afford to give Lokki any more information than he already has through absorbing part of its energy."

Having spent as much time as he dared at the bowl, he reluctantly turned back to finish the job he'd already started. He noticed with great relief that she'd spared him the torture of looking at her by adjusting her blouse so that her bra was no longer exposed while still managing to leave her shirt dangling off her shoulder, the wavy lengths of her shoulder-length hair now the only obstacle in his way.

"Good god, Yuki!" Shirogane breathed, his voice momentarily rising, appalled at what he saw as he lightly pushed the tangled locks aside, the cloth poised above her shoulder. "Even the side of your neck is burned!" The tips of his fingers brushed against the back of her nape and she gasped, feeling a tingle creep down her spine. "Did I hurt you?" He asked, pulling back, his hazy eyes darkening in concern.

"No," she shook her head, avoiding his gaze, "I just didn't expect it, that's all."

He moved closer again, his breath falling against her cheek and she closed her eyes, her stomach tightening in reaction to his proximity, gritting her teeth at the same time as he touched the cool cloth to the abraded skin of her shoulder. After applying the ointment, he again wound a few strips of cloth beneath her arm and around her shoulder to anchor them in place, and the back of his hand lightly grazed the side of her breast several times as he worked.

The first time it happened, Yukino's eyes flew open in surprise and she shot him a startled look, her face flooding with color. But he seemed not to notice her flustered reaction. His jaw was clenched tight, and his countenance was set into such lines of stern concentration that she thought perhaps he hadn't been aware of the provocative contact at all. She decided not to say anything, even when it happened a second and third time, thinking that she was making something out of nothing.

But Shirogane was all too aware of the contact. Even though it had been accidental, he couldn't discard it from his mind; the sensation of the soft, rounded curve of her breast from the back of his hand.

_God help me, I'm losing my mind,_ he thought numbly, dimly aware that his thoughts were even more hazy than before. He needed to hurry, he needed to leave before he did something irreparable.

Without pausing to give Yukino an opportunity to slide her sleeve back up her arm, Shirogane softly murmured, "Let me see your face," his amber eyes becoming heavy lidded, the drugging effect from Rin's potent tea increasing.

He used every effort of mental energy he had left to try and focus, but the room seemed to take on a dream-like quality and he knew from the heaviness that was beginning to seep into his limbs that he was going to have difficulty just getting up off the floor, much less actually trying any coordinated motion liked walking. He didn't want to think about that though as he put his finger beneath her chin to lift her face.

Very carefully he began to clean the jagged tear at the right corner of her mouth, his head beginning to spin a bit as he noticed how thickly fringed Yukino's lashes were and how her eyes were a perfect crystalline blue. Clear and serene, they stared at him now full of trust.

But would she trust him so implicitly if she knew what he'd been thinking? he wondered blearily as he found himself ensorcelled by her eyes, his head still spinning, the urges to touch her finally finding the breaking point of his restraints, ready to put his body in motion.

"You were very brave today, Yuki," he murmured, the cloth pausing as he finally managed to rip his gaze away from her eyes, and examine the awful tear that Lokki had made.

It was satisfactorily clean and he cupped her jaw, allowing his thumb to lightly trace the soft fullness of her lower her lip, watching the spark of surprise ignite in her eyes.

He couldn't blame her. In the deep recesses of his brain he realized that he too would have been completely appalled by what he was doing had he been more lucid. But he wasn't lucid. He felt sluggish and distorted as if trapped in a dream, reacting only to the urges that drove him, the saner parts of him, watching helplessly as a bystander as he was ensnared by the soft curves of the body in front of him –completely uncaring of the fact that the body belonged to his baby sister.

"I wasn't brave," Yukino told him, her voice breaking unevenly when Shirogane moved his other hand up to cup her face, and she gave him a questioning look.

Errant strands of hair fell across his brow and into clouded amber eyes, and to Yukino, it almost seemed as if he was inebriated. Unsure of what to do, but knowing she should do something, she reached up and wrapped her fingers around his, gently disengaging them from her face, thinking that this was the proper thing to do, thinking that this would be what he would want her to do.

"I was afraid I was going to lose you, onii-chan, and it scared me," she told him, her eyes earnest as she spoke.

Immediately his fingers twined through hers giving them a squeeze, and it felt as he had performed the same action to her heart when his thumb finally abandoned her lip, and he slid his hand caressingly along her jaw until it came to rest in the thick tangles at the back of her neck. Little shivers went racing down her spine as he slowly brought his face closer to hers, and he said in a slightly dulled voice, "You'll never lose me. I will always be here to protect you."

"Onii-chan?" she whispered uncertainly, eyes wide in alarm when she realized he was going to kiss her. She tried to draw back, but he'd laced his fingers through her hair and his grip kept her from moving, so she placed her hand against his chest and pushed, feeling her breath flutter restlessly in her throat. "Onii-chan?" she repeated a little louder, feeling panicked, seeing a strange heat flare in his hooded amber eyes.

_He is truly not himself, _she realized in shock. _I have to stop him. Otherwise, he'll never forgive himself in the morning if I let this happen!_

Shirogane could see the agitation and anxiety in Yukino's eyes and he paused, his breath feathering across her face as he whispered, "Are you afraid, Yuki?"

"A-afraid?" she stammered, her eyes luminous, and uncertain, and he let go of her hand, so he could let his fingers drift comfortingly through the unkempt tendrils of silken flame around her face, smoothing them carefully behind her ears.

"Are you afraid of me?" he clarified, ignoring the painful pull in his leg as he inched just a little closer to her, his head really spinning now.

"N-no." She shook her head, but then thought that perhaps that wasn't quite true.

She wasn't afraid of him at that moment; only what would come after when he had returned to the rational Shirogane that she knew. She knew he would regret this – and she knew he would take steps to make sure that it could never happen again. That was what she feared.

"If you're not afraid, then close your eyes," he bid her in a low, mesmerizing voice.

"But, onii-chan –" she tried one last time, her breathing so fast that her voice almost sounded like a squeak.

"Yuki," he whispered, his fingers momentarily resting lightly against her lips, effectively silencing her protests before coming to rest on the ivory column of her neck, "just close your eyes."

He brushed his lips persuasively against her cheek and her eyes drifted closed, her breath catching in her throat when his lips suddenly grazed hers. Then she felt him tense and he let his mouth press more firmly against hers, careful to stay away from the torn flesh at the corner. In that one moment nothing existed for Yukino except for the feel of his lips moving against hers. When he opened his mouth over hers and let his tongue play teasingly along the softness of her bottom lip she gasped, her lips parting as it felt like she would stop breathing altogether.

With a whisper of a groan Shirogane took advantage of her open mouth and deepened the kiss, his tongue plunging hungrily inside to move against hers, until Yukino could no longer think straight as a strange liquid heat began to build inside her body. Over and over, his mouth slanted urgently against hers, fueling the heat, making her body indolent and heavy.

It wasn't until she felt him leaning towards her, his weight bearing down on her, pushing her back against the mat that she vaguely began to realize things were quickly escalating out of control and if she didn't stop, there would be more than a kiss to regret in the morning.

She wanted to push at his chest, to push him away, but found instead that her fists convulsively twisted at the white fabric of his shirt holding him place as she felt his hand come up and pull at her blouse, impatiently ripping the buttons free to cup her breast the way he'd been longing to since he'd felt it brush so enticingly against the back of his hand. Yukino arched her back, squirming beneath him as she felt his thumb graze the sensitive tip beneath the thin layer of satin and lace of her bra. She let out a shuddering gasp when his mouth trailed away from hers, opening her eyes and staring sightlessly up at the thatched ceiling as his lips slowly rasped along her jaw and the unburned side of her neck, feeding the heat flowing through her veins.

_Think of tomorrow!_ a voice cautioned somewhere deep inside and she knew she had to try again

"Nii-chan," she whispered breathlessly, her hand coming up to cup the back of his head where the thickness of his silver braid began. "You must stop." Her last word came out slightly garbled and her fingers curled into his long braid as his fingers left her breast and joined his other hand, to begin pushing up her skirt, exploring the sensitive skin along her knees and thighs. "Onii-chan," she tried again, panting, thinking desperately "w-what about Kagome?"

"Kagome?" he mumbled distantly, as if the name was unfamiliar to him. "I'll think about that tomorrow… right now, I just want to hold you. You feel… really good, Yuki," he murmured in a husky, sleepy voice as he nuzzled against her neck, letting his hands drift a little higher wrapping his fingers around her upper thighs and gently pulling at her legs to separate them so he could slide his body between them.

"Onii-chan," she breathed, her voice sounding wispy in her own ears as she tried to steel herself against the clamoring heat that was building at the center of her body. "o-onii-ch-chan, you may think I f-feel really good right n-n-now, but you won't f-f-feel too good tomorrow if you don't s-stop."

His long, "_Mmm_," didn't sound too convinced by her argument and she knew he hadn't been listening when his hands slid beneath her, curving around her buttocks to pull her closer to him.

She was completely unprepared when he tilted his hips towards her just once, and she felt the rigid hardness of his arousal press up against her, sending an incredible piercing pleasure rocketing through her. She gasped, instinctively arching her hips against him and she heard a low, smooth chuckle issue from him.

"Methinks that Yukino likes the way I feel as well," he observed with a wry trace of humor, his voice sounding even sleepier.

Yukino didn't respond, feeling incapable of coherent speech at that moment, but she did seem to notice that he'd suddenly gotten quieter. His body had become very relaxed against her, and he'd brought both his arms back up to encircle her in a secure embrace. "I'm very tired, Yuki," he mumbled, his head resting along the graceful curving line of her neck and shoulder. "…I feel…very odd…at least m'leg… can't feel it anymore…"

Yukino closed her eyes, her heart still thundering violently in her chest. She was glad, she told herself tremulously, trying to ignore the aching disappointment that seemed to grow as the fire ebbed from her veins. But then her face twisted in misery as she thought about the coming day and she covered her eyes with a shaking hand, wondering what she should do.

Regret and self-condemnation.

With a certainty, come tomorrow he would be full of both, and things would be worse, unless she could find a way to undo what had been done. Tentatively she nudged his shoulder, relieved when he rolled away from her and she was able to sit up. Quickly slipping her blouse back onto her shoulders she buttoned it, her eyes widening in alarm when she realized that she was missing a few buttons.

_They must have come off when onii-chan pulled open my shirt_, she concluded uneasily, searching frantically for them and finding all but one. She poked around the area where Shirogane was laying, trying to slide her hand beneath his hip without disturbing him, and then jerked back in alarm when he slowly opened his eyes. He gazed sleepily at her, as if he wasn't really seeing her before his eyes drifted closed again and Yukino was afraid to try the maneuver again, afraid the next time she might not be so lucky. That one button, she regretfully concluded would just have to stay lost. Turning away, she hastily reached for the needle and thread that Rin had provided, though not for common mending purposes.

How ironic that was what she was using it for, she reflected as she slanted a look at Shirogane's handsome face before removing her shirt to repair it, wracking her brain for a solution to her new dilemma while she prepared to start her work.

Yukino shivered as the cool night air hit her bare skin and she examined the irori. The coals were burning low again. Wearily she clambered to her feet, performing the same task Shirogane had done once before, and then returning to the mat to enfold him in the blanket he was lying on top of, wrapping him it its warmth. With a deep sigh, she numbly sank to the mat next to him and took up her blouse to begin the job of fixing it.

After her task was complete, she put it back on and examined the place where the button was missing. She'd positioned it near the top, so it would look natural, since she never buttoned those anyway.

Like anyone was going to notice, she thought with a touch of bleak amusement, with all the dirt and tears, who was going to notice a missing button?

In a few hours it would be daybreak, and she still had yet to think of a viable solution to her problem with Shirogane. Feeling despondent, she pulled her knees up to her chest and stared into the bright orange flames of the irori.

She wondered, was it possible to make him believe that it had all been a dream? She turned her head, letting her gaze slide over him, noting how peaceful he seemed, and how beautiful he was; the fringe of silver hair framing his brow falling across the dark crescents of his long lashes as they fanned out along his cheeks. Reaching out with a gentle finger, she smoothed the wayward locks away, her hand hovering when he didn't react to her touch.

Just how deep was his sleep now? Biting her lip, she hesitated a long moment but then gave his cheek an experimental poke, smiling weakly when there was no reaction; not even a slight change in the tempo of his breathing to suggest that he'd been disturbed.

She poked again and couldn't help the small snort of hysterical laughter that escaped when nothing happened, her shoulders slumping forward in relief.

_Maybe, just maybe, it would work_, she mused with a small ray of hope. But she would have to rely on complete mastery of her composure; otherwise, he would know she was lying….

She put her hands to her cheeks, praying that they wouldn't give her away in the morning, and then tried not to think about it. Instead another thought struck her, one that gave her even more hope.

Was it possible that Rin's medication wasn't entirely responsible for what had happened tonight? Could Shirogane feel just the tiniest shred of real attraction for her? If that were so, how was she to know? When she had mentioned Kagome to try and dissuade him, it had made no visible impact on his actions. But neither did tonight's interlude seem to change his long term goal of continuing to pursue Kagome. _…I'll think about that tomorrow_ he'd said. So how was she to find out the truth of how he truly felt?

With a groan, Yukino lowered her head to her knees. "Onii-chan," she mumbled in a defeated way, "you have made things so very complicated!"

Opening his eyes, he stared up at the starry sky, his mind fragmented with sounds and images that didn't seem to fit together.

_I'm cold_, he thought, and then paused.

Or was he?

The darkness of the night felt comforting, as if he belonged to it, was a part of it, but at the same time, could not truly embrace it. The autumn wind was sharp; he felt it pull at him, and yet it seemed to blow right through him, leaving him feeling more unsettled, his thoughts more vague and scattered. It rustled softly through the trees, coaxing from them a few errant leaves that drifted to the forest floor to lie like splashes of crimson against the darker green and brown.

_Crimson… there had been blood… Had he died?_

No, it had been someone else's blood. He tried to catch the fleeting images as they slipped just beyond the reach of his conscious mind, pulled by the wind as another more pressing question rose to plague him.

_Who am I?_

"You are me," someone responded, someone he didn't recognize.

It troubled him, this strong new presence. He looked around but saw no one and then realized the voice he'd heard had come from within. Feelings of intimidation, rage, lust and a craving for power seemed to swirl around him, confusing him, mingling with the wind, becoming so entangled that he could not sort them out. And still there was the looming presence, the one that had spoken to him that seemed to stand strong against the wind that wanted to blow everything else away.

_I do not know you! _he wanted to rage, but found that as a mere shadow he had no voice.

There was amused laughter and then words full of sly promise.

"Don't worry, you will."

Kagome was drifting through dreams, through layers of darkness with flashes of colors that exploded with such painful intensity it sent shockwaves through her head. Images from the past and present intermingled until she could no longer tell the difference between the two. Voices grew from indistinct murmurs rising to echoing shouts, becoming fragmented and then fading back into the darkness until there was nothing but pain.

_Just don't expect me to come and get you when the man of your dreams doesn't appear! _Inuyasha's caustic voice echoed hurtfully through the darkness.

…_to meet you, Kagome-sama… I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time…_ he said in a kinder voice… no, not Inuyasha, but someone else who spoke in softer, subtler accents and yet to Kagome it felt so very like Inuyasha -- the gentleness, the kindness, how she'd so longed for him to speak to her.

And then the two voices overlapped, running over each other, tense and hostile.

_What the hell did you do to her?_ Inuyasha's strident tone cried, but it was drowned out by smoother, softer words.

_Looks like you won, Inuyasha, but only for the moment… Not everything can be won by brute force…_

Who was this? came the desperate thought, a troubled restlessness assailing her because she could not recall his name or his face as his words kept falling like rain into the darkness of her mind.

…_it's all right, Sango… it's obvious that he's not thinking about Kagome at all…_

And then Inuyasha's voice was silenced, as if he'd completely vanished, the only thing left, the soft words of that smooth voice against her ear and the autumn wind gusting against her face.

_You were wise to leave him Kagome. All he ever thinks about is himself, never considering what you want. He could never make you happy…_

For all their softness, the words invaded her thoughts, uncomfortable and stinging, like the sharp bite of the autumn wind against her cheeks.

…_if you were mine, Kagome, you would always come first…_

And then a name popped into her head.

Shirogane.

He had held her, she remembered, on the back of Kirara as they had returned to Kaede's village and though she had been incapable of opening her eyes, she had drifted in and out of semi-consciousness, listening to the voices of those around her during their battle with Lokki and afterwards.

That phrase: the one full of ripe promise seemed to linger, unwilling to be pushed away by the others crowding around it.

– _if you were mine, Kagome, you would always come first…_

She found no comfort in such beguiling words – they only stirred a strange longing in her as the voice faded into memory and the blackness turned to grey.

Had they been real, those words, or had they been conjured out of dream? she wondered as her body slowly began to rise through the numbing ether of sleep and return to the real world, her head, fuzzy and aching dully.

Was she at home? She pondered sluggishly, listening to the strange repetitive sound of _Kchack! Kchack! _followed by a series of footsteps and then_ Kchack! Kchack!_ What was that? It was completely unfamiliar, but extremely annoying.

Over and over, she listened to it without moving; her head feeling like an overripe melon, and then finally, when she could stand it no more, she cracked open her eyes and turned her head, her vision blurred as she looked at the person sitting next to her.

Silver hair.

_Shirogane?_

With all those soft, tantalizing words of promise he'd spoken, had he come to watch over her? Was it he that was sitting there?

_Kchack_!

Only one this time, and then Kagome realized that she'd said his name aloud, her voice coming out rather loud in the relative silence of the room, drawing the attention of the person sitting next to her.

She blinked several times, trying to bring her eyes into focus.

"Inuyasha," she breathed, feeling like she'd walked through a field of butterflies, and some had gotten trapped inside of her. Her face spontaneously broke into a lopsided smile as she looked at him, but it faded quickly when he just stared at her, his countenance somber, his eyes guarded.

_Shirogane,_ Inuyasha thought darkly. How easily his name fell from her lips, like a soft embrace meant for a familiar lover upon risingThe thought made Inuyasha inwardly writhe in pain.

Slowly he rose to his feet, towering over her, and Kagome struggled to sit up, feeling weak and slightly nauseous, noticing, rather absently, that he had her shoe clutched in his hand.

He still wore the same red kimono, and went barefoot, she realized, taking comfort in these unchanging characteristics, signs that he was still the same Inuyasha that she knew. But there had been undeniable changes to his appearance as well. His chest had gotten much broader, his face had filled out, becoming more defined, more handsome and his hair had gotten longer too, she observed with painful perception; signs that he was no longer a boy, but now a man; a man with a confident swagger in his stance. She supposed that would never change and neither would his rebellious air.

"Shirogane is in another hut," he informed her rather curtly. "I'll go get him for you."

"No! Wait, Inuyasha! Don't go!" she called out to him desperately, her hand reaching for his, not wanting him to leave.

He ignored her and she pushed back the blanket, clambering to her knees, trying to rise, feeling her world tilt from attempting to move too fast. Panting from effort, and with a few light grunts she made it to her feet as he yanked something from the bamboo shade and then push it aside and she frantically realized that he would be gone before she could stop him.

Taking a step towards him, she whispered the word, "No!' as he turned and slanted a brooding look over his shoulder at her just as her knees buckled and she headed straight back towards the ground in defeat.

Her eyes glazed over as several sharp pains went slicing through her temples and behind her eyes and she waited to feel the hard impact of the ground against her body. But then he was there, his arms around her, to keep her from falling.

_Oh god,_ she inwardly cried, _for so long, this is where I've wanted to be for so long._

Her face was close to his neck, almost touching him, when she began to shake, and found herself, embarrassingly enough, on the verge of tears. Feeling mortified at how weak she was she prayed that her lack of fortitude was the head injury wreaking havoc on her emotions, but she somehow felt that wasn't entirely the case.

"What are you doing?" she heard him ask gruffly somewhere above her head, holding her stiffly, both of her shoes now clutched in his hands, "You're going to hurt yourself! I told you I would go get him for you, stupid woman!"

Kagome didn't care about seeing Shirogane. All she wanted was to stay like this, close to him, feeling the heat of his body penetrating through her suit, warming her, hear heart expanding with a familiar joy of being near him that she thought she'd never have the chance to experience again.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed, her voice trembling. She closed her eyes as the tears welled up and she pressed them against the strong column of his throat to hide her painful grimace, her hands grabbing hold of the scarlet fabric of his kimono sleeves and twisting it, not wanting to ever let him go. "Y-you haven't s-seen me in t-ten years," she whispered tightly, "and that's all you can say to me?"

Inuyasha's expression changed, becoming startled and he stared helplessly at the wall, his mouth opening and closing as he listened to the pent up misery in Kagome's voice. His body began reacting to her closeness despite how his heart felt betrayed by her whisper of another man's name.

"You can't even say h-hello?" she asked in a weak, watery voice, her fingers tightening even more against his sleeves, until her hands began to tremble.

Unable to stop them, hot tears breached her eyelids, slowly leaking from the corner of her eyes to scald his neck, and their heat seemed to melt some of the stiffness in his arms. Inuyasha's body relaxed and he leaned into her. He tilted his head, letting his jaw rest lightly against the smooth softness of her brow and he dropped one of her shoes, bringing his hand up, to run it caressingly down the length of her hair.

It couldn't be, he thought in vehement denial – she couldn't have taken a lover. Not when it felt so right to hold her. But even if she did belong to another man, Inuyasha thought rebelliously, he would take her away. The gods had made her for him. No one else.

"Hello, Kagome." He murmured gently, the soft rasp of his voice instantly drying her tears.

A feeling of comfort enveloped her at the sweetness of his greeting and she tried not to let him squash it when he added with his usual bluntness, "Are you staying this time?"

He was never one to beat about the bush, she silently admitted, but couldn't he just this once let that warm and alluring softness he'd shown her last a little longer? And besides, Kagome thought, her mind shrinking away from his question, she knew she wasn't emotionally prepared to make a decision about that yet.

But Inuyasha wanted an answer, and as his impatience grew, he tightened his arm around her, forgetting that he still carried her shoe. Now the heel of it dug painfully into her hip.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured plaintively, squirming to relieve the pain as she craned her neck to look behind her. "What are you doing with my shoe?" she asked, her sable brows soaring in curiosity as she sought to divert his attention to another topic.

"Oh, I was, uh, I was practicing," He loosened his arms from around her, letting her go and Kagome tried not to feel disappointed.

"Practicing? Practicing what?" Her brown eyes left the shoe and returned to him, her intrigue growing.

"Well they've got these sharp things on the bottom," he pointed out, holding her shoe up for her perusal as if she'd never seen it before, using his thumb to tap against the long spike at the bottom.

"See?" he declared, looking down at her as if that cleared the whole thing up.

Kagome just blinked helplessly at him.

"That's the heel, Inuyasha." She watched as his brow furrowed in vexation when she didn't automatically acknowledge his explanation. "- Were you wearing them?" she wondered aloud, recalling the strange sound she'd heard.

"Gah! No!" he responded scornfully, "Why would I wanna do that? It would be like walking on the end of a stick!"

Kagome just shook her head then, her brows knitting together and replied, "Well I'm sorry, but I can't say that I see all that clearly how a heel can help you practice anything."

"I'll show you then," he said, a slightly smug smile tilting his lips. "Watch." He turned his gaze to the bamboo shade hanging in the doorway and lifted her shoe, holding it by the instep. Using a great deal of force, he flipped it forward, and Kagome watched it go shuttling through the air until it hit the bamboo shade with a loud _Kchack_! the heel embedded deeply within the fibers. "It could become a very deadly weapon – your shoe, Kagome. 'Put a hole right through someone's skull," he speculated with a kind of feral glee – like he thought all shoes should be made that way, and in some strange way Kagome felt like laughing, but she didn't.

This is what he'd spent his morning doing, came the dawning realization; finding a way to throw her shoe, and not only that, but from the looks of it, and the numerous holes he'd made in the door covering, he'd been doing it for quite a while. _Just how long had he been sitting there?_ she wondered, glancing speculatively back up into his face.

"That's… quite amazing, Inuyasha," she praised with an appeasing smile, and watched him shrug it off.

"It passed the time," he replied carelessly his eyes drawn to her upturned face and the sweetness of her smile.

It pulled at him, making him feel strange and uncomfortable urges, urges that he didn't remember having ten years ago; just like the urges he'd experienced so vividly last night from inhaling her scent…

"But what about the person who normally lives here?" Kagome asked, thoughtfully, looking around at the small, one room home.

For the tiny village it was furnished well: wooden floors instead of hard packed earth, several ornate tansu with decorative vases sitting atop them, an oshiire for storing bedding along the far wall with the doma and the irori in the middle, not far from which a moderate-sized, highly polished kotatsu was placed for eating and working. It was obvious to Kagome that this was the home of someone of high rank within the village and she shuddered to think of their outrage at having a guest shred their door covering so disrespectfully.

"I can't imagine the owner of this home is going to be very happy with the holes you've made, Inuyasha," she pointed out, surprised when again he just carelessly shrugged.

"He won't care," Inuyasha replied in an offhand way as he bent to retrieve her shoe, suddenly examining it with an absorbed interest in its design.

"How can you say that?" Kagome exclaimed with a wide sweeping gesture towards the contents of the room. "Everything here is very well taken care of, and—" Kagome broke of, startled when Inuyasha rounded on her with a frown.

"This home belongs to me, okay?" he snapped, his ears flattening in irritation at her persistence and Kagome's eyes widened, mystified when his cheeks began to change color.

"B-but I thought-" she stammered, confused. He looked away from her with a deep scowl, the color only becoming more pronounced, and Kagome experienced a moment of great trepidation.

Surely things hadn't changed _that_ much, she thought, finding the idea of Inuyasha living indoors unsettling for one specific reason: it meant that he could have started living inside to appease someone else – a woman perhaps?

"What I mean to say is, I thought .. you preferred the outdoors, Inuyasha," she remarked awkwardly, twisting her hands nervously together in front of her when he remained obstinately silent. She had to know, she thought… and so she tried again. "Have you taken to sleeping inside then?" she asked, trying not to sound too strained, while the silent phrase _with someone else_ burned in her mind.

And then an insidious, pernicious voice began to fill her head with horrible thoughts.

What if Shirogane's striking resemblance to Inuyasha was more than just coincidence? What if he was the direct descendant of Inuyasha, and she was currently standing in the place where that descendant would one day be born or worse yet, had already been born? Kagome's heart lurched in her chest at the thought, her face, already pale, changing to an even sicklier color.

As she stood there looking at him, his shoulders stiff and awkward, his face bright red, she began to consider a fact that she never thought would ever be an issue: that he might have someone in his heart other than Kikyou.

Really, what had she expected? It had been ten years, after all, and with a man's body came a man's need, that same little insidious voice whispered.

Kagome tried not to let such speculations affect her while she waited for his answer, but it was too late, for the damage had already been done. Even so, she honestly admitted, she had no one to blame except herself if that were the case. In running away, she'd given in and given up the right to claim any part of Inuyasha's heart.

So if she stayed now, would it be too late to try and make him take notice of her? Could anything she do now make a difference?

"No, I still sleep outside," Inuyasha begrudgingly admitted, his voice cutting across her tumultuous thoughts.

His admission relieved some of her worries, but they weren't all banished. Some still lingered, fed by the fact that he kept his face averted from her as if he were hiding something.

"--But this place _is_ mine and I had these things placed here because… because…" his voice trailed off, his mouth working with no sound coming out, as he struggled to express his reasoning, and he finally came up with, "I thought maybe one day in the future, I might change my mind."

Even to his own ears, it sounded weak, his tone defiant, as if he dared her to argue. But he couldn't very well tell her that he'd had this place fixed for her, could he? Not now, not with the gaping distance that had been created between them because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Shirogane and the ten years that stretched between them like a yawning, black chasm.

Inuyasha would wait and tell her after he could clearly claim her as his – _And she will be mine, make no mistake, Shirogane_, he vowed in grim determination, thinking back to the priest's smile as he held Kagome in his arms for the journey back to the village.

"Oh, I see" Kagome replied weakly.

His answer somehow made her feel even more depressed, again fueling her wild suspicions, and then she jumped slightly as his head whipped around, and his brooding gaze came to rest upon her as he inexorably returned to what she had yet to tell him.

"You never answered my question, Kagome," he reminded her sharply, his face falling into lines of concern at how her wide brown eyes seemed lost in the intense pallor of her face. She looked as if she might collapse at any moment.

"Kagome?" he murmured and he took a step towards her, one of his hands reaching out, taking her by the arm and dragging her gently towards him. "Are you all right?" he asked, his other hand tipping her chin upwards, giving her a searching look.

"I'm fine," she stammered with a wavering smile, feeling her heart flutter out of control at being so close to him. .

"You don't look fine," he told her suspiciously.

"Yes I do," she argued, reaching up, pushing his fingers away from her chin so she could look away.

"Well then answer my question," he commanded acridly, angry at her persistent denial.

Kagome opened her mouth, wanting so badly to tell him yes, but she hesitated, letting her fears stay her voice.

_Hadn't this been what she wished for just yesterday,_ she asked herself sharply? She'd thought she'd never be granted another opportunity and yet here she was. The gods had given it to her. She should take it. And yet she was letting her underlying fears paralyze her. She was so terrified, terrified that things would end up like they were before, of her feeling lost, of having no future, and waiting for a man who was infinitely tied to the past, bound to a love that would never be fulfilled, or worse, that he'd found that love with someone else, and it wasn't her.

She wanted to stay. So desperately. But what about him? Is that why he was asking? Because he wanted her to stay? Or did he want her to go back home as soon as possible? There was only one way to find out.

"I'm – I'm sorry, Kagome –" Inuyasha apologized gruffly, seeing the disorientation in her eyes and how tense her face was. She was still very fragile from her wounds, Perhaps he should have waited, he thought belatedly, his arms dropping to his sides, "I shouldn't have pushed you –"

"Do you want me to stay, Inuyasha?" Kagome interrupted him, trying to keep her voice steady and serene, managing fairly well despite her inner turmoil.

Inuyasha looked startled that she'd even asked that. How could she not know the answer to that, he thought incredulously? He wanted so badly to tell her, but he couldn't. He tightened his jaw to keep himself from blurting out the truth, and looked away from her, his brows knitting together in a frown.

"It's your choice Kagome. It always has been." he muttered with an inscrutable expression.

And just how exactly was she supposed to take that? Kagome thought miserably, foundering in the turbulence of all the doubts she'd created for herself. Then her eyes widened as it hit her, and out of nowhere, she remembered Shirogane's soft voice saying, _all he ever thinks about is himself…_

It was a lie, she realized.

Just now, Inuyasha had put her first, telling her that she should do what she wanted regardless of how he felt.

--Because he wanted her to stay. And she didn't know why she knew that's what his answer meant. She just knew that's what it meant.

Some of her most horribly dark thoughts lost their power to inflict their pain, and Kagome began to feel more hopeful. She loved him, and no matter how terrified she was of things going wrong, she had to try. She had nothing to lose and if she was successful, she would have found what she'd been looking for: a lifetime of love from the man who meant everything to her.

"Would you mind, then," she asked haltingly, biting her bottom lip, "if I stayed for a while, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shook his head mutely and watched as Kagome's face broke into a relieved smile. He thought he would have been relieved by her answer as well, but he wasn't. It left him feeling very disgruntled.

_Just how in the hell long was 'a while' supposed to be anyways!_ he reflected, sourly.

Notes:

**Irori** the small fire usually found in the domo – the central workplace of the home – the domo always had an earthen floor although in nicer homes, the floor around the domo might be made of wood.

**Oshiire** built in cupboard for bedding

**Kotatsu** in this era it is a charcoal heater used under a table; but in today's modern era it is used to reference a low table with a built in heater.

**Doma** the earthen work area on which the irori is usually constructed

**Tenugui** a rectangular piece of cloth (a towel) that could be used for just about everything from a head covering , to a washcloth, to a towel. It was small and thin, so it could be tucked and carried easily and it dried quickly in the humid climate.

123


	8. 08: Echoes of the Past, Shadows of the F...

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Echoes of the Past, Shadows of the Future**

Kagome learns, much to her dismay, the fate of Miroku, and Kikyou returns to the village – drawn by the power of the Forbidden Soul – what exactly does she know about this strange new power?

Chapter Eight

"Kagome!" Shippou's piercing voice overflowed with joy as he exploded through the doorway of the little hut. His little face was wreathed in an enormous smile, but it dimmed when he saw Inuyasha standing close to his beloved Kagome. "Inuyasha," he muttered darkly, his diminutive brow clouding over, "how did you get here before me?" he sulked, creeping towards Kagome, warily eyeing Inuyasha who glared heavily at him for his unwanted intrusion.

"I was here all night, you little brat," Inuyasha thoughtlessly retorted, and then could have cheerfully bitten out his own tongue when he felt Kagome's startled gaze on him. Feeling mortified, he hunched his shoulders, and the desire to throttle Shippou until his face turned blue made him clench his knuckles. "I just wanted to make sure Kagome was going to be okay," he hastily explained. "--and besides, this _IS_ my house, so I'm allowed to be here! --Who exactly gave _you_ permission to come inside? I don't remember hearing you ask!" he snidely remarked and watched as Shippou's face screwed into an even tighter pout while he scooted across the floor, making a mad leap for Kagome, who opened her arms, easily catching him to snuggle him close, a glow of happiness lighting her face at the nostalgic feel of the familiar banter between these two companions.

"Oh come off it, Inuyasha," Shippou grumbled, his wide, green eyes shooting sparks, "everyone knows who this house _really_ belongs to—"

The scowl on Inuyasha's face melted into panic as the warm glow in Kagome's eyes sputtered and died out and her countenance assumed a numb expression..

"Shut up, Shippou!" he hissed through his teeth, his knuckles cracking as he raised his fist in front of the little kitsune and tightened it threateningly.

Shippou's mouth quivered in terror and he turned his face into Kagome's shoulder.

"K-kagome!" he wailed, clutching convulsively at her blouse, feeling her arms tighten protectively around him, and to everyone's surprise he started snuffling and snorting, and then he burst into tears.

"Inuyasha," Kagome softly chided, surprised that Shippou would be so terrified at such a paltry threat as she quietly patted him on the back.

It used to take more than that to really scare him, she mused in consternation, but aloud all she said was, "You shouldn't be so rough!"

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes but inwardly he felt slightly relieved. Kagome's face had lost that frozen look when Shippou had started crying and for that, Inuyasha was extremely grateful.

"Don't try to lay this at my door!" he intoned glacially, his eyes moving shrewdly from Kagome back to the small fox cub. "Come here Shippou, and let me show her what _really _makes you cry." He beckoned, his lips tweaking into a feral half-smile as one of Shippou's tearful eyes peeked away from Kagome's shoulder to direct a bright-green glare at him. "Heh," Inuyasha snorted, folding his arms together in front of him, "that's what I thought. I'm not the one making him cry, Kagome," he informed her unceremoniously. "You are."

Kagome's mouth fell open and her dark eyes looked down at the top of Shippou's head. "That's not true, Inuyasha!" she protested, shocked.

"Sure it is!" he replied airily, turning away, his nose in the air. "The little turd is crying because he hasn't seen you in so long," he threw over his shoulder as he took several steps away, "he just wants to try and make me look bad, that's all," he concluded moodily as he collapsed into a cross-legged position onto the floor in front of the irori. "--by letting you think the tears are because he's afraid of me. – not to mention he gets a free hug --" he grumbled under his breath, too low for either Shippou or Kagome to hear.

Not that Shippou could have heard him anyway, he thought resentfully, considering the fact that he was shrieking like one of those irritating little mushrooms he always carried around with him.

"That's not true, Inuyasha! " Shippou hotly denied, turning to direct a basilisk stare at the back of Inuyasha's head. Still snorting and whuffling he used his sleeve to hastily mop at his eyes and nose. "Besides, who'd be afraid of wimpy ol' you!" he spat, his expression losing some of its bravado when Inuyasha swiveled around and slowly stood back up, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he swiftly approached Kagome and grabbed Shippou by the ponytail, ignoring Kagome's indrawn breath of surprise.

"Anyone with half a brain knows it's wise to fear me, you little brat!" he hissed softly leaning towards Shippou, his fist coming up and landing on top of the kitsune's head to begin grinding unmercifully against it in a rotating motion, "but I guess that leaves you out in the cold, doesn't it, since you're _COMPLETELY _brainless!"

"Uwah! – Ka- go-me!" Shippou choked, tears of pain starting in his eyes, while he put his hands up to his head, trying to push Inuyasha's fist away.

Kagome too felt Inuyasha's bullying had gone far enough, despite the slight euphoric feeling inside of her that reveled in the familiarity of being caught between these two. Inuyasha should really learn to exercise a little more control when it came to Shippou. He was just a child after all, and he needed more patience and understanding, and Inuyasha was – well, that was the whole problem right there, Kagome realized with chagrin.

Inuyasha was Inuyasha, which is why he would always be the way he was – short on patience and quick to act. It was up to her to step in and act as his patience now; to become the buffer between him and Shippou, and Kagome wondered who had fulfilled that onerous task while she'd been gone.

"Inuyasha, stop!" she raised her voice in protest, trying to be firm, not surprised when the hard-headed fool completely ignored her. "Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, a thread of exacerbation lacing through her words as he continued to mutter at Shippou, and Shippou continued to scream insults at him, the situation beginning to escalate out of control.

In the old days, she could have just yelled _Osuwari,_ but now Inuyasha no longer wore the Kotodama prayer beads that bound him to that word, and so she would have to find another way of effectively curbing his more aggressive tendencies.

"Inuyasha, please!" she cried, finally reaching out and wrapping her fingers around his wrist, and giving it a tug.

That didn't work either, so she leaned forward, attempting to catch his eye, unprepared for the dizzying sensation that flooded through her. Her fingers reflexively tightened around his wrist, her eyes momentarily losing their focus as she leaned a little too far forward and almost smacked into Inuyasha's head before he caught her, their faces very close together.

"K-kagome? Are you all right?" Inuyasha's voice was full of concern, his eyes searching her countenance, noting that despite her loss of balance, her cheeks were tinged with pink.

"Yes, I just got a little light-headed for a moment, but I think I'm okay now," she assured him with a ghost of a smile, her heart galloping away at his closeness.

That smile: it was such a fragile thing, hardly her brightest or her best, but because she was so close, Inuyasha suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe, and instead of trying to move away from her, he somehow wanted to get closer. His eyes dropped to her lips, magnetically drawn to their alluring fullness. He wondered what they tasted like, and without conscious thought, his head dipped towards her until there was a squeak of a sound resembling a protest, and he felt an uncomfortable wriggling sensation followed by several sharp jabs against his ribs.

Up until that moment, he had completely forgotten about Shippou. But Shippou hadn't forgotten. He was being unmercifully squished as Inuyasha tried to close the distance between himself and Kagome, and Shippou resented it immensely.

"Inuyasha!" he fumed, "stop trying to hog Kagome! You've been with her all night!" he cried indignantly.

Inuyasha took a step back, suddenly very aware that he'd been about to make a fool of himself in front of Shippou by kissing Kagome.

"It's _my_ turn to spend some time with her!" the kitsune declared vehemently, a little surprised when Inuyasha didn't offer any argument, unaware of the turbulent thoughts preoccupying Inuyasha's mind as he sought to get his emotions back under control. "You should just go off and find Kaede!" Shippou recommended, waving his hand dismissively, shooing Inuyasha towards the door, "while I stay and keep Kagome company for while."

Inuyasha slanted a narrow look at Shippou. "Why would I need to go find, Kaede-baba, Shippou?"

Shippou gave a careless shrug. "I dunno, but she was looking for you before I came here. She mentioned that if I happened to see to say that she needed you."

Inuyasha's lips quirked derisively. Of course the old hag would give Shippou that message, he thought peevishly. Kaede knew perfectly well where Inuyasha was, and if she had needed him or wanted to find him, she could have crossed the street this morning and gotten him. The only reason she'd had Shippou deliver that message was so that the little kitsune would be granted his wish of being allowed to spend time alone with Kagome. Feeling out-manned and outmaneuvered, Inuyasha ears flattened, his face a mirror for his disgruntled feelings.

"Fine," he muttered ungraciously, "I'll go find out what she wants. You two have fun."

He turned on his heel, his eye catching Kagome's as he did so and saw her apologetic look. So she knew it was an excuse too, he thought, fuming even more as he stalked towards the door.

"Inuyasha," Kagome's soft voice called as he threw wide the bamboo shade, and he hesitated, turning his head, but not looking directly at her as she awkwardly murmured, "thank you for being so concerned for me last night and for… s-staying with me –"

Inuyasha just waved his hand dismissively at her and let the shade fall back in place behind him, feeling frustrated.

Of course he would stay with her! She didn't have to be grateful to him for that! he thought acidly. He didn't want her to feel grateful. Let her feel happiness, when she was with him. Affection, most definitely. Desire…_hell yes_, he thought, his blood beginning to burn at the memory of just being near her, and the smell of her scent. But forget gratefulness! That was too much like obligation, and he'd be damned if he'd let her feel obliged to him for anything! It was too much like taking charity!

"Inuyasha, stop scowling at me like that, it's too early in the morning," Kaede-baba admonished as she shuffled her way down the narrow lane towards him and her own little hut, and Inuyasha turned and fell into step beside her.

As usual she was dressed in her red and white miko robes, and she walked with her hands behind her back at a slow, measured pace, as if she had all the time in the world, which made Inuyasha all the more impatient to know what she wanted with him.

"Okay, spit it out, baba," Inuyasha huffed, looking down at her, "Shippou said you were looking for me."

"And good morning to you too, Inuyasha," Kaede replied with a note of wry humor.

Inuyasha growled impatiently, his mood not improved by her light banter.

"Enough with the idle chit chat already," he complained, gesticulating, "whaddya want?"

Kaede shot him a long, considering and then softly murmured, "You'll have plenty of opportunity to spend time alone with her, Inuyasha, time that Shippou won't be able to butt in on. Don't be so greedy."

Inuyasha turned his head and looked away, hoping that she was right, at the same time too afraid to say that he thought she might be wrong, afraid that if he said it, it just might come true…

"Baba, how the hell long is 'a little while'?" he asked her instead.

"That's a strange question," she observed with a tilt of an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

"That's how long Kagome said she would stay." he informed her heavily, looking askance at the old miko when she just chuckled.

"If you're that worried, then why don't you just ask her to stay permanently?" she queried in amusement.

Inuyasha grimaced. "Because I can't!"

There was a heavy moment of silence broken only by the sound of Kaede's zori sandals crunching through the dirt as they moved down the lane.

"Because of onee-sama?" Kaede peered knowingly up into Inuyasha's profile, watching it twist into a conflicted expression, caught somewhere between misery, anger and frustration. "Inuyasha, how long are you going to continue to hang onto your attachment to my sister?" Kaede asked him with a sigh, "she has been dead for more than fifty years, and it is time for you to put aside all your feelings for her –"

"You think I don't know that, baba!" Inuyasha exclaimed harshly, "Kagome left once before because of this, didn't she?"

He dragged his hand across his face, a defeated look welling up in his eyes at how entangled he felt. "It's not so simple, as you make it sound!" he declared bitterly. "I do not want Kagome to leave me – but I cannot ask her to stay knowing that I must always honor the feelings that I had for Kikyou!"

"Why must you always honor them, Inuyasha?" Kaede wanted to know, stopping and turning to him, "I know you don't love her the way you once did. That is plain to see. Even onee-sama should know that, despite the fact she still comes here from time to time,– oh yes," Kaede affirmed softly when Inuyasha, shamefaced, suddenly looked away, "I know that she comes, and I know why she comes, Inuyasha, but have _you_ realized why she comes, I wonder?"

"She never speaks to me," he admitted haltingly, "and I never try to speak to her – after Kagome left, I didn't care anymore, baba. The only thing that mattered was… not having Kagome."

"Then why do you still let nee-sama haunt you?" Kaede again gently probed.

He closed his eyes a look of sadness flitting across his countenance as he replied in a tortured way, "Because it is the only way to make amends for the sins I've committed against her, for betraying the love she had for me!"

Kaede laid a gnarled hand against his arm. "And what about the sins she's committed against you?" Inuyasha's eyes shot open, surprise lighting their depths and Kaede stepped back, her mouth set in a grim line. "She was a beautiful, kind person, with a great capacity for sacrifice, Inuyasha," she commented, her eye shrewd as she gave him a searching look, "but no one knows better than I that she was not a perfect person. Death has magnified those things in her that were the best and worst and in some ways twisted them. What happened between you two was a tragedy that no one can change. But she is no longer capable of sacrifice when it comes to you and she will not willingly set you free if that's what you're hoping for." Kaede turned and started walking again, and Inuyasha, bemused by what she'd said, turned and automatically fell into step alongside her. "Kagome loves you, you fool, and she can make the decision to stay, but you are the one that must take a stand and reach out and tell her how you feel, otherwise nee-sama will make sure that you have nothing left to hold but the cold, dead past."

Inuyasha didn't say anything. What could he say when he knew that she was right? Inuyasha wanted to make Kagome his, wanted to make sure that Shirogane had no right to claim her, but in order to do that, he was going to have to take a stand. If Kikyou would not let go of him, could he let go of her enough to do what was right? To do what he wanted to do? Perhaps that was why he'd never gone back to get Kagome in the first place – because he knew in his heart that until he was ready to put aside the guilt he felt over Kikyou's death, he could never ask Kagome to stay.

"We're here," Kaede informed him, cutting across his somber thoughts as they stopped in front of one of the huts and she turned an expectant eye towards him. "I knew I could count on you not to let me down," she told him, patting his shoulder.

Inuyasha felt his brows soar, a wariness beginning to creep over him as he eyed her hand with suspicion. "Count on me for what, baba?"

"To play escort, of course," she replied with a smile, removing her hand, where it joined the other behind her back before calling softly, "Yukino-chan, I've brought Inuyasha just as I've promised."

There was no answer at first, and Inuyasha's mouth fell open in dismay. "Hey, baba!" he hissed, "You should ask first before you volunteer me for something! --Just what is it you've told her I would do?"

"Nothing you can't handle," Kaede grunted, "she needs you to take her to the stream where the falls are so she can purify herself before handling her Tama. She can't go that far alone and her brother is still asleep, so I told her you would take her –"

"Half the whole damned world is still asleep, old woman!" Inuyasha snarled, "why can't she wait until her brother is awake and let him take her? I don't want to play baby sitter!"

"Have you forgotten that he has a wound in his leg that prohibits him from walking long distances?" she asked him, and then adding dryly at his martyred expression, "I see that you have. Well, you'll just have to make do, Inuyasha. She needs to do this in order to perform the purification for the Kinmotsu no Tama, so as protector to Rin and the Shikon no Tama, I charge you with the responsibility of making sure that this gets done. Otherwise should the barrier around the jewel fail, then the two jewels would end up interacting again. We can't afford that."

Inuyasha heaved a longsuffering sigh and nodded dully. He could see any hopes he might have had of getting to spend time with Kagome this morning slipping away.

"Fine," came his toneless reply. "Let's get it over and done with then."

And he turned and took several aimless steps away, looking up at the pale blue sky still tinged with the receding grey of night, the sun having just barely risen.

Inuyasha silently condemned anyone who arose at this hour of the day to a long, torturous death of being eaten by a hungry Tengu, and then he remembered that he'd arisen long before the sun ever had – not that any Tengu could pick the flesh from his bones. It would find itself completely featherless and running in the opposite direction long before that would ever happen. A fleeting smile crossed his face at the thought but it disappeared the instant he heard Yukino's voice from behind him.

With her quiet good morning, his pique instantly returned. Frowning, Inuyasha turned his head, preparing to scowl at her, but was instead completely abashed to see the heavy, purple shadows beneath the young woman's eyes. _Hell, she wasn't up early_, he realized. _She just hadn't slept at all_, and then he wondered why.

Yukino had dressed in some of Rin's borrowed clothes, wearing a white kimono and light blue hakama and she carried a small wooden pail clutched tightly in her hand. Her hair had been carefully combed, falling in soft copper waves around her shoulders, framing her face, its vibrant color intensifying her unnatural pallor and calling attention to the jagged tear at the corner of her mouth which was beginning to blossom into brutal colors of red, purple and yellow at the periphery. She'd had a very rough time of it, and if anyone needed sleep it had been she. So why hadn't she slept? he mused, moving forward when he saw her crystal blue eyes flicker uncertainly towards him, his irritation dulling slightly in the face of her shy hesitancy.

"Inuyasha has volunteered to take you down to the stream," Kaede informed her, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, a gimlet eye directed toward him when he opened his mouth to dispute her choice of words. "Inuyasha, please do _not _treat her like you do the rest of us," Kaede requested austerely, "she is a guest and therefore should receive only your kindest words and gestures…" Kaede broke off, staring at him for a moment, and then she mumbled to herself, "what am I saying… you don't have any kind words or gestures," at which Inuyasha glowered fiercely, and Kaede then motioned towards him, her voice louder as she added, "don't let him scare you with his scowls and dark looks, Yukino-chan. I assure you, he is all bark and no bite," The glower then stretched into outrage, and with a chuckle Kaede waved them away.

An awkward silence fell between them, one that Yukino was terrified of breaking. Despite the old miko's words, she found Inuyasha's scowls and insolent eyes extremely intimidating – not to mention the way he stomped around when he walked, she reflected, watching him out of the corner of her eye as he all but swaggered down the small country lane .

They managed to make it all the way to the edge of the village walking in silence with nothing but the sound of the early morning birds and Yukino's zori sandals crunching along the ground, until Inuyasha sighed.

Then he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky, saying casually, "It's going to be an awfully boring trip if you don't say anything the whole way there."

Yukino slid a watchful sideways glance up into his face.

"I thought you preferred it that way," she equivocated, her fingers tightening convulsively around the handle of her pail as Inuyasha swiveled his head and peered lazily down at her, his hands remaining pillowed behind his head.

"Why would you think that?" he queried with a quizzically raised brow, and it struck Yukino for the first time just how much her brother truly resembled this hanyou – except for the ears, of course.

Inuyasha's ears looked much… softer, and she felt a sudden desire to reach up and stroke one, thinking how it must feel like velvet. Suddenly one of them twitched, and she blinked, jerking her eyes back down to his stiff features, aware that she'd been caught staring, and he wasn't happy with her, still waiting for her to answer his question.

"Oh, well, you seemed rather – " _Snitty? Hostile? Unapproachable?_ Yukino inwardly cringed as each of these descriptions popped into her head, and she paused, searching for a word that wouldn't inflame his temper, finding it impossible to come up with one that characterized his mood this morning that she wasn't terrified to use. "Well, you seemed to be… er… I thought maybe…"

"Yes?" he prodded, his eyebrows soaring as he waited expectantly and impatiently, watching her shrink before his very eyes, intimidated by his manner.

"Well what would you like to talk about?" she offered with a weak laugh instead, relieved when he didn't pursue his question.

Dropping his hands back down to his sides, Inuyasha barely had to think before he came up with something.

"Why don't you tell me how it is you came to know my name," he suggested bluntly and watched her eyes widen as she stumbled over her own feet.

Yukino hid her grimace, wishing now that she'd decided to wait until later in the morning after some of the others had risen for the day and could have taken her to the stream. But she'd wanted to be out of the hut when her brother had woken up, thinking that would be best, considering all that had happened last night. It would give her time and space away from him to compose herself, and it would also give him the opportunity he needed to recover his own sense composure which she knew would be badly shaken.

And she definitely wanted Shirogane to have a chance to mull over in his mind what he wanted to say to her without her being there, because she knew that this would, in the long run, play to her advantage. She knew how her brother's mind worked: and the more prepared and in control he was, the better chance she had of making him rationalize that everything he thought had happened had, in reality, been a dream. Or at least, that was her plan…

"Well," Yukino nervously hedged as she pushed all thoughts of the previous night aside to concentrate on Inuyasha's question, wondering if her brother would be angry at her for embellishing the truth a bit. She almost wished he was here to deal with this issue, but since he wasn't, she could only do her best. "--As you know, our shrine is almost as old as the Higurashi shrine, and many stories have been passed down since the Age of Legends when the Era of Man was dawning and the Time of the Oni was beginning to wan -- which would be your time, Inuyasha. There were many, _many_ stories about you and your friends – and the heroic deeds you performed concerning the Shikon no Tama – " she almost stumbled over the lie, and it was an effort to keep her face bland, but from Inuyasha's expression, she assumed that she'd managed it fairly well, for he was evincing only mild curiosity and no suspicion.

"Well how come you know so much about the Shikon no Tama?" he asked curiously, "and yet I've never heard of your Tama – If they are both from this era, then I should have heard of the one that your family has passed down." he asserted, his interest becoming too pointed for her to feel comfortable.

Yukino drew in a deep breath, switching the pail from one hand to the other before she answered him, trying to give herself a little more time. She even adjusted the front of her kimono, and still she couldn't come up with a suitable half-truth. "Well Inuyasha, a jewel of power is not something that you go around advertising." was all she could come up with. "I don't know why Shirogane's descendants kept the jewel a secret. You could ask my brother, but I don't know if he really knows the answer to that either."

"Well then, where did it come from?"

Yet another blunt question to make her squirm, and Yukino gave him a helpless look. "D-don't you think these are th-things you should b-be asking my brother?" she stammered.

Inuyasha shrugged indifferently, and replied, "I was just trying to make conversation."

"It feels much more like an interrogation than conversation," Yukino informed him stiltedly.

"Okay, fine, I'll pick something else then" he sighed and paused looking at the trees, trying to think of something that wouldn't put her on the defensive.

"If you don't want to talk about the Kinmotsu no Tama, then why don't we talk about you?" he suggested, feeling slightly irritated as he watched her face turn red.

What was it about girls and conversation? Couldn't they even talk without getting embarrassed?

"Me?" she squeaked. "What do you want to know about me?"

"Well," he paused reflecting heavily for a minute, and his next question made her laugh, "how long have you known Kagome?"

Inuyasha's irritation increased at her laughter, and he broke out into a scowl when Yukino wouldn't stop laughing. He even stopped walking so that she had to stop too, and then she apologized, still giggling because his face was so crunched up that it somehow reminded her of the grumpy-faced teddy bear wearing a hat and a bow tie her brother once won for her at a spring festival.

"You know that's not really about me at all, Inuyasha," she pointed out, "that's about Kagome," and she watched his face go red.

"All right, then," he muttered in clipped accents, "why don't you answer this then: you're not related to Shirogane are you?" That sharp observation came out of nowhere, and Yukino felt a moment of panic.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she stammered, all traces of humor gone, her hand fluttering to her throat. Surely Inuyasha didn't think she and Shirogane had lied about being siblings? "Shirogane is my brother," she asserted firmly.

"Then why don't you smell like him?" he asked almost belligerently, his probing eyes not missing any detail as they raked her up and down.

"W-well, that's because his father married my mother after his real mother passed away," she explained. "So we are only related by marriage…"

Another moment of awkward silence, while Inuyasha digested this piece of information, and Yukino shifted uncomfortably, wishing desperately for this inquisition to be over.

"That explains why you're in love with him…"

Yukino was stunned and humiliated at how transparent she was, and she looked away from him, knowing her face was on fire.

"H-how did you know that?" she asked quietly.

"It was easy enough to figure out," he admitted. "You were so protective of him yesterday, yet you could barely even stand on your own. Why else would you put him first if not because you loved him?"

Yukino swallowed convulsively and didn't say anything for a moment, her heart lodged firmly in her throat.

"I thought that's what siblings did… they protect each other," she mumbled through numb lips.

"Heh, I wouldn't know," Inuyasha snorted a little derisively, "I harbor no affection whatsoever for the only sibling I have, and I think it's safe to say that he'd like to see me dead – he'd probably be more than happy to commit the act himself if he didn't think it would get his delicate kimono so dirty…"

"But…you don't understand…I only did it because he's my brother," Yukino repeated in a choked voice almost to herself, afraid that if Inuyasha saw right through her then the others would too.

Inuyasha gave her a sharp look, and saw the glazed look in her eyes, belatedly aware that he'd said something that he probably shouldn't have.

"Don't worry," Inuyasha assured in a gruff way. If he'd known it would scare her, he would never have said it. "I don't think your brother knows, or at least I don't think he's quite figured it out yet so you're safe, but--" Inuyasha's voice petered to a halt, wondering if he really wanted to know the answer to his next question. "Can you tell me, have he and Kagome?... " he broke off and changed his wording to, "--How long has your brother known Kagome?"

"Not very long, Inuyasha, but Shiro is very interested in her," Yukino admitted with a note of sympathy in her voice.

Inuyasha didn't say anything for a long minute, staring at the dew covered grass, the wind blowing errant wisps of hair across his face, and at that moment, Yukino felt a bond with him, realizing that they shared something in common: he was against a match between Kagome and her brother as much if not more than she was.

"If there's anything I can do…" she blurted out the offer before she could stop herself, and his amber eyes slid to her in surprise, a genuine smile lighting his face when he saw her understanding, but he shook his head all the same. "I didn't think so," she sighed, "I'm really sorry. I've tried to talk him out of it… but he won't be dissuaded…"

"It doesn't matter," Inuyasha told her laconically as he started walking again, and she followed suit. "He isn't going to win."

Yukino stared up into his inscrutable profile, her crystalline blue eyes wide with anxiety. "I hope you're right," she murmured, biting her lip.

With a contented smile on her face, Kagome sat beneath a tree at the edge of the village looking out over the bridge spanning the small, meandering brook and listened intently to the animated voice of the kitsune by her side. Across her lap and on the ground in front of her lay pieces of paper, all brightly colored with crayons in Shippou's childish hand, depicting scenes of heroic deeds and ghastly monsters, and with each one came a new story, slightly embellished no doubt, as to how each battle was won with the help of the young kitsune and how bravely he had withstood against the hordes of evil.

On and on the stories went, as the sun slowly rose into the morning sky, and as the stories became more lavish, Shippou's deeds became more outrageous, but Kagome didn't mind. How she'd missed hearing his voice and seeing his face, she thought as she picked up the piece of paper lying against her lap, a fond smile curling her lips as she looked at what seemed to be a giant fire breathing fish head chasing a terrified Inuyasha whilst Rin and Shippou worked together to bring the monster's mischief to an end.

How she missed being by Inuyasha's side too, she realized. And Sango, and Kirara and Miroku… but wait, Kagome thought, picking up several more of the pictures and looking at them. Miroku was not in any or them. How…strange! She would have to ask Sango about it later, she mused, wondering why Shippou would have left him out of all of the pictures.

"Good morning!" Rin's voice called, breaking into Shippou's exuberant story-telling and they both looked up to see Rin standing a few feet away along the path, a small bird perched on her shoulder and a bow slung across her back. Standing behind her was a tall, handsome young youkai that Kagome didn't recognize at all. His long, aqua color hair was pulled back loosely with a cord and his lithe, elegant, frame looked awkward as he stood one or two steps behind Rin, juggling his hold an a reed basket full of what looked to be laundry.

Kagome was amazed at the beautiful young woman Rin had become. She was so proud of the job that Sango, Kaede and even Inuyasha had done in teaching her all the things she needed to know to become the amazingly graceful and composed miko that she appeared to be.

"I know you've never met Atsuji, Kagome," Rin said by way of introduction with a polite gesture of her hand, "but he was here last night, and he helped to defeat the Ijin that spawned when the energy from the two Tamas clashed together."

Kagome gathered up Shippou's pictures before clambering to her feet, careful not to move too quickly lest she upset her balance, and then offered the youkai a smile and a slight bow. Atsuji, in turn, gave her a smile that made her blink at its serene beauty, and then she blinked again when he bowed and ended up dumping half the laundry into the dirt, his expression falling from the heights of the sublime to the depths of comical despair.

"Oh no!" he stammered, standing up straight, his creamy complexion becoming stained with color as Rin bent down, unflustered, and began gathering up the pieces and putting them back in the basket. "L-look at your kimono! I've broken your beautiful kimono!" he cried in horror fingering one of the sleeves that Rin had placed in the basket and Kagome felt her mouth drop open at his histrionics. "I'm so terribly sorry!"

"You didn't break it," Rin assured him in amusement over the loud chattering of the bird on her shoulder which was eyeing Atsuji with what could only be called disdain. "It's not easy to break laundry, Atsuji. It's not like a pot."

"But, but look at it!" he cried, getting all worked up, "it's all in pieces! And it's, it's, -- well, it's dirty!" a look of distaste rippled across his face. "And it's entirely my fault_!'_

Rin just looked up at him and laughed softly, "Well it's in pieces because I took it apart so it could be washed, so you didn't break it, Atsuji – that's how all kimonos get washed," she patiently explained. "—and as for being dirty – well it was already dirty, which is why it was in the basket in the first place. You just helped to make sure that no one mistakes it for being clean, that's all," she teased. "I think it's time for us to go, before it gets any later," she chirped, looking up at the sun. "Say goodbye, Suzu," She cheerfully instructed the little bird on her shoulder as she turned away, waving to Shippou and Kagome, missing the besotted look on Atsuji's face as the little bird laughed obediently.

Kagome waved back, her eyes not missing Atsuji's expression, and she wondered if she should warn Sango to keep an eye out. Kagome watched them walk across the small bridge, her eyes on Atsuji's back. He seemed nice enough, but still, it probably wouldn't hurt to say something to Sango about it, she decided.

Kagome felt a tug on her skirt and she looked down.

"Can I finish telling you my story now?" Shippou demanded plaintively, "I was just getting to the good part—" he declared, clenching his fists in frustration when he was yet again interrupted, this time by Sango.

"Good morning," Sango's soft, cultured voice called, and Kagome eagerly turned to greet her old friend and her faithful companion, Kirara who was pertly perched atop her shoulder and mewled happily when she saw Kagome.

"Sango-chan! Kirara!" Kagome exclaimed joyously.

She threw her arms around Sango and gently hugged her, and then softly stroked the small cat before stepping back. Even though ten years had gone by, Sango's mode of dress for when she wasn't working hadn't changed at all. Today she wore a simple pink and green kimono and her hair hung down around her shoulders, much in the same way that Kagome always remembered it.

But there was something different about Sango too, something that Kagome couldn't put her finger on as they stood talking to each that troubled Kagome. It was a certain stillness that felt almost like a vague sadness and Kagome wondered what could have brought about such a change in her friend's demeanor. Before she could really probe into the issue, however, they were joined by Shirogane, who seemed drawn and restrained. His greeting was flawlessly polite however, after which his eyes searched the area.

"Have you seen my sister?" he asked after a long moment, as he looked off in the distance, towards the rice fields as if he might spot the bright top of her head in that direction.

"I have not," Kagome replied, "but Kaede-bachan told me earlier this morning that Inuyasha took her to the falls so she could prepare herself for the purification ritual of your Tama."

Shirogane's head snapped towards Kagome as she spoke, his face darkening unexpectedly. "Inuyasha! Why wouldn't she wait for me to take her!"

It was a rhetorical question, and he could see from Kagome's expression that she was startled by the sharpness of it. He ran a distracted hand through the hair along his brow, pushing it out of his eyes and apologized for his lack of manners.

_Damn, damn, damn! _he growled silently. _Why did she have to run away from him!_ Surely she hadn't been that horrified at what had happened between them? He tried to dredge up her responses to him from his memory, but other than how his own body had been inflamed by her soft, silken curves and the taste of her flesh, all he could recall was the sound of her voice telling him to stop on several occasions.

Dear god… what kind of brother was he? He felt like the world's worst bastard, his conscience heavily smiting him for not listening to her and he knew he needed to apologize to her as soon as possible for all the terrible things he'd done last night!

"Are you feeling all right?" Kagome asked him, peering with concern into his ashen colored countenance.

"I seem to be having difficulties recovering from Rin's tea this morning," he murmured quietly, leaning heavily upon his bo and stretching the stiff muscles of his leg.

"Well, I'm surprised you're up at all," Sango admitted with a slight smile, "much less able to speak coherently. Her teas are quite strong. Shippou and Rin usually have to resuscitate me with food around noon before I can move at all."

They spoke for a few minutes more, after which, Shirogane's eye was caught by the stack of drawings underneath the tree. He limped over and peered down at them. "What are these," he asked with interest.

"Those are mine," Shippou declared proudly, picking them up, and then, "Wanna see?"

Shirogane nodded with a smile and so as a group, they settled themselves back beneath the branches of the tree, sharing Shippou's drawings, listening with amused smiles as he expounded on his tales once more, with a comment or two added by Sango who left his dream weaving untouched for the most part.

It was only as the late morning wore on and Shippou was winding down that a puzzled frown creased Shirogane's brow.

He began paging through the drawings, his eyes resting thoughtfully on Sango for a moment before he inquired, "How come there are no depictions of the Houshi here?"

Kagome, who had been leaning with her back against the tree, her eyes half-closed, lulled by the peaceful sounds of the countryside around her and the quiet voices of her friends, perked up at his question, since she had been meaning to ask Sango the same thing.

Sango went quite still and tried to hide behind a mask of neutrality. "How could you know about Houshi-sama?" she wanted to know, and then she looked at Kagome, "did you tell him about Miroku, Kagome?"

Kagome mutely shook her head, her eyes questioning as she too looked to Shirogane for answers.

"The Legend of the Shikon no Tama, and the warriors who defeated it has been passed down through my family. I am familiar with all of your names, including, Kagome-sama's," he replied, his amber eyes swinging towards and lingering meaningfully on Kagome. "Which is why I am surprised to see the Houshi missing. He was such an integral part of who you were—"

He broke off at the small bitter laugh that escaped from Sango's lips, surprised by it. She looked surprised by it as well, putting her fingers to her mouth, a startled expression in her brown eyes.

"Sango-chan." Kagome reached out and laid a comforting hand on her knee, and Sango lowered her head in a gesture of defeat. "What happened? When I left, you two were making plans to be married."

Sango gave a small shrug of her shoulders, her hand covering Kagome's and she kept her eyes pinned to this sign of friendship, this warm bond of human comfort that had been absent for so long.

"He stayed for a while, Kagome, but when his kazaana did not disappear like he thought it would after we defeated Naraku, he began to distance himself. I think perhaps he gave himself a certain amount of time, hoping that it would eventually close, thinking that it was like a wound that needed to heal, and when it didn't… he decided to leave, instead of facing the possibility of leaving his accursed fate for another generation to bear…" she broke off, aware that the pain she still felt after all these years was beginning to leak into her voice, and she didn't seem capable of stopping it.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome murmured, biting her lip, her heart hurting for Sango who had had so much taken from her by Naraku: her home, her family, her friends, and even the man she loved. It wasn't fair!

"Do you know where he is?" Shirogane asked in a level voice, aware that Kagome was giving him a strange look. He knew his voice sounded perfunctory and uncaring, but he could ill-afford to let sentiment get in the way of what needed to be done at this point.

"I don't," Sango conceded after a long moment, her face going stark white at his next words.

"We need to find him and bring him here," he informed them succinctly, "we're going to need his help." Sango shook her head in urgent denial her eyes seeking support from Kagome and Shirogane's jaw tightened. "Sango, his abilities are essential because he is one of the few that can fight without spilling blood. He has strength that Inuyasha and Atsuji and the rest of us don't. We _need _him. _You_ need him." He paused a moment, giving her time to digest what he'd said and then carefully added as if it was an afterthought, "I don't know if you realize it or not, but his kazaana has not widened at all in these last ten years."

He watched her face go slack in shock, thinking that now would be a good time to depart and give her an opportunity to think over the things he'd said. Struggling to his feet, he took several long, limping steps away, turning one more time to add before his final departure,

"According to our shrine's history, Houshi-sama lived to be a wizened old man, unlike his father and grandfather, and when he passed away, it was not the kazaana that claimed his life… It was never recorded whether or not he took a wife or had any children, but I feel certain, that his line lives on, _without_ the curse that Naraku left…"

He offered her a kind smile and with a wave murmured, "I think perhaps I should go check on our Tama and make sure that the barrier is holding up. I hope you will seriously think on the things that I have said… Kagome," he murmured, his eyes sliding to the silent figure still clutching tightly to Sango's hand, "I wish to return through the well at some point this afternoon to gather some necessary items – clothes and tools, for my sister and myself. Would you care to accompany me?"

After a small hesitation, she nodded and he smiled and waved again, and then he was gone.

"He can travel through the well by himself?" Shippou asked incredulously.

"Who is he, Kagome?" Sango asked in a shaken voice, as she watched the mysterious priest limp sedately back towards the village, his long silver braid standing out starkly against the dark fabric of his jacket and pants. "He seems kind enough in his own way, but all that he knows, and the power that he holds – it is intimidating…"

"I wish I knew for certain," Kagome replied, knowing that as puzzled as they were by his presence, she doubted that any of them were as troubled by his resemblance to Inuyasha as she was. The shadow that Shirogane was perhaps Inuyasha's descendant lay heavy upon her heart, like an insidious poison, and Kagome couldn't stop herself from searching for the eyes of that descendant's mother in every face she saw.

Feeling a great deal of ennui, his cheek pressed against his palm, his elbow resting against the knee of his crossed legs, Inuyasha languidly drew a circle in the dirt, and he stared down at it. He paused for a moment and then drew another right beside it and then a bigger one around the first two, adding little sticks on the sides for arms, imagining that it was pink, and that its name was Shippou.

Fangs flashed white against the background of his flesh as his mouth curved into a snarl, "Shippou, you little…" he ground out, smashing his fist violently against his crude drawing, obliterating it, completely blaming the young kitsune for the total waste his entire morning had been. Somehow it failed to bring any satisfaction like he'd hoped it would.

Sitting back, he looked up at the sky, marking the sun's progress at the halfway point. They had to have been here at least three and half hours now. How long could it possibly take to purify yourself? Even Kikyou never took this long when she came here. She was in and out of here in no time, Inuyasha briefly recalled; at least in no more than an hour for certain. And this girl couldn't be any less pure than Kikyou. What the hell kind of thought or sin had she committed that required she be purified for over three whole freakin' hours? he mused in irritation.

Rising to his feet, he arched his back in a stretch, his long, thick hair almost touching the ground and then walked down the grassy bank. He padded softly towards the falls where Yukino knelt with her pail, her hair hanging in wet, rust colored clusters around her heaving shoulders, her head bent forward as if she had paused a moment to rest. Inuyasha wondered if her hands and feet had gone numb yet, as the icy cold mist filling the air prickled against his skin, nullifying any warmth the autumn sun might provide before he even got close to her.

"Oy!" he called over the sound of the rushing water crashing against the rocks, "aren't you finished yet?"

One blue eye peeked over her shoulder at him, and he frowned when he saw the resolute expression there.

Enough was enough already!

Stomping forward, he entered the stream, the cold currents quickly saturating his hakama to brush against his legs. Gah! he didn't see how she could sit there and pour bucket load after bucket load of this frigid stuff over her body!

Reaching down he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up, not surprised when she had trouble standing on her own. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed, trying to steady her as she stumbled to gain her footing. "I think you've had enough purification for one day, Yukino!"

"You don't understand," she mumbled, her eyes lowered in an expression that bordered on shame, "I can't clear my thoughts, I can't keep them…pure. I don't know what to do!" she gasped, finally raising her eyes, and Inuyasha was taken aback to see the despair there.

"Surely it can't be that bad?" he awkwardly comforted, giving her a gruff pat on her shoulder.

"If I can't purify my thoughts, then how can I hope to purify the Tama?" she whispered miserably. She'd hoped that this time would also help to calm her down before she had to face her brother, and so far that had yet to happen. If anything, she felt more uncertain, as if she was in control of nothing – not even her own emotions.

Inuyasha was nonplussed as he stared at her. He knew nothing about shrine rituals. But this girl hardly seemed like a sin hardened soul. He couldn't see the gods seeking retribution for any small slight she'd committed just because she was having a little trouble letting it go.

"Well, I hate to say it, but if you haven't managed to wash out whatever is bothering you by now," he told her taking the pail from her fingers and dragging her unceremoniously towards the bank, "then it isn't gonna get washed out. And besides – I'm sure the gods will at least smile on your efforts – I swear I've never seen anyone try so damn hard as you," he grumbled sourly and then inwardly grimaced.

He hadn't meant it to sound so critical, but Yukino didn't seem to notice. Her face was creased with the thoughts troubling her and her body was shuddering, wracked by hard spasms as it tried to warm itself.

"Holy hell, girl," Inuyasha castigated harshly, his eyes raking over her, taking in the excessively mottled hue of her face, the purple cast to her lips and the horrible waxy color of her hands and feet. "Can you feel your toes at all?" he demanded, a hiss of displeasure escaping his lips when she mutely shook her head. "What were you thinking?" he muttered as he viciously yanked his red kimono free from his hakama and shrugged it free from his shoulders, leaving him with his beige under kimono. "You gotta walk back to the village, you know – and you can't walk if you can't feel your feet, you stupid girl!" he continued to berate her. He stepped behind her, wrapping his fire rat kimono around her with surprising gentleness before coming back around in front of her to give her a measuring glance, and panic replaced his ill-temper when he saw what looked suspiciously like a tear glimmering in the corner of Yukino's eye.

"Hey! Don't do that!" Inuyasha exclaimed, extending his hand in a helpless gesture, "Look, I know as a miko, it's your job to be steadfast, respectful, pure, and all of that; and you seem to be doing a bang up job at it too. But if it's your brother that you're ultimately trying to please by being the perfect miko, and you think that this is how you can win his affections, then what you're doing is wrong. Protecting your Tama, purifying your Tama, that is important," Inuyasha agreed, moving away from her, watching contemplatively the white water cascading down the bedrock, hitting the shallow pool lined with jagged rocks where it further spread out into deeper water. "But one or two small, insignificant thoughts that you might have had; are they really going to keep the gods from hearing your prayers and granting your request if your heart is sincere at the time you ask?" He turned his head, his eyebrow raised in serious inquiry.

"I suppose not," Yukino conceded through chattering teeth, having never looked at it so simply before.

"Didn't think so," be breathed in a relieved voice. "I'm glad you agree with me. Now we can go home." He turned, stomped purposefully towards her, then stopped and spun around and surprised her by bending slightly forward as he said, "Climb on, I'll carry you."

"C-carry me?" she squeaked. 'B-but I'm all wet!" she protested.

"Yeah? So what?" he drawled, looking back over his shoulder, "Hurry up, I wanna get going."

For some reason, the thought of wrapping her legs around a grown man's waist just seemed so horribly wrong.

"I can't" came her choked reply.

Inuyasha sighed heavily, shook his head, and rested his palms against his knees for a few seconds, muttering darkly under his breath before he again looked over his shoulder.

There was a slight frown between his brows and an edge to his voice as he asked, "Why not? Didn't your father ever give you a piggy back ride when you were little?"

"Well that was different," she protested, her fingers clenching tightly to the folds of the fire rat kimono around her shoulders

Inuyasha's lips thinned, "No it's not."

"Yes it is!" she argued hotly, suddenly realizing that she didn't feel quite as intimidated around Inuyasha as she had before.

"Is not!" he turned and growled, noticing that some of the color was finally returning to Yukino's face.

"It is!" she pugnaciously insisted her nose tilting in the air.

"Can you feel your feet! yet?" Inuyasha shouted at her, waving his fist in her face, aware that she was just as stubborn as Rin and Kagome were.

A surprised look flitted through Yukino's eyes, and she paused before replying, "A little, yes," her voice milder.

"Fine! We'll walk then!" Inuyasha scowled, but he spoke in a mollified way.

Together they climbed the bank, Yukino's zori making a wet squishing noise, and began the walk back to the village, the silence this time a much more comfortable one, despite the cranky scowl Inuyasha was sporting. As they neared the outlying rice fields of the farmers of the village, Yukino turned her head, and pulled Inuyasha's kimono tighter around her.

"I feel something strange," she observed aloud, and he shot her a curious glance, his hand dropping to his Tetsusaiga when he saw her uneasiness.

"What kind of 'strange'?" he asked, his head snapping up, his eyes alert, as he scanned the area.

"I don't know," Yukino admitted, "I've never felt anything like it – it's a lost feeling and yet - it's sad, and… lonely. It's not coming from just one direction but seems to be all around us"

And then out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw it – a pale flash of white and his jaw tightened. "Shinidama chu," he muttered grimly, his hand moving away from his Tetsusaiga and heard Yukino's soft indrawn breath of surprise.

Why was Kikyou here? She usually only came twice and year, and her visit wasn't due for at least another four whole months.

"Do you think Kikyou was drawn here by the power of the Kinmotsu no Tama?" Yukino looked around wide-eyed, hoping to see the legendary miko or one of her soul collectors for herself, unaware that she'd just given a possible solution to Inuyasha's silent questions.

"I suppose you know about Kikyou the same way you know about me and the others," he muttered coldly.

Yukino started, her eyes flitting to Inuyasha's flinty profile before skittering away. "Well she _was_ there at the final battle between you and Naraku," she mumbled weakly, her voice trailing away.

Inuyasha refrained from saying anything further, but quickened his pace, as they approached the bridge to the village where he saw Kikyou's solitary figure standing on the outer banks. She was staring at Kagome who stood beneath the tree with Shippou and Sango on the other side. With a feeling of foreboding, Inuyasha watched Kikyou's Shinidama chu weave their way through the village, in and out of the huts, as if searching for something and he wondered how long, Kikyou had been here.

Neither woman moved and as Inuyasha drew closer it seemed to him that Kikyou was waiting for something. Then she turned and saw him and her emotionless smile told him that she'd been waiting for him. Inuyasha's foreboding increased as he saw Kikyou turn and begin moving with slow, graceful steps in his direction.

Without looking at Yukino, Inuyasha murmured, "Go wait on the other side of the bridge with Kagome."

Yukino didn't hesitate, but immediately broke away from Inuyasha, meekly eyeing Kikyou as they drew abreast of each other, feeling a strange chill creep up her spine at the impenetrable emptiness in the other woman's eyes. Yukino drew in her breath and jerked her head away, looking down at the ground, but in that one passing moment, she was left with the impression that this ghost of a woman's will was merciless.

"Inuyasha," Kikyou greeted him, reaching up, her hand lightly caressing his cheek. Her lips tweaked into a slight, satisfied smile at the startled look her unexpected action drew. "You have no welcoming smile for me?" she asked, the smile disappearing when she watched his eyes slide away from her, back over her shoulder, towards the bridge, towards Kagome.

"I would welcome you Kikyou, if I truly thought your words were for me and not just for the eyes of another," Inuyasha mumbled hollowly, his eyes never coming back to Kikyou, but staying trained on the strained countenance of the woman who was anxiously watching them on the opposite side of the bridge.

Kikyou didn't pretend to misunderstand, but neither did she turn to acknowledge Kagome. "In all sincerity, I was surprised to see she had returned, Inuyasha. I thought that when she left ten years ago that you had decided to honor your past commitments to me and never see her again."

"I know what you thought," Inuyasha retorted, the words wrung from him unwillingly, and his tempestuous gaze finally came back to the woman standing in front of him. "and I have done my best to honor you, Kikyou. But in the years that Kagome has been gone, my vigil to you has been a silent one by your own choosing, and yet if we had spoken, you would have known that I could never spend my entire life without seeing Kagome again."

"She won't stay," Kikyou coldly asserted, adding knowingly, 'and you can't ask her to stay."

"She _will_ stay," Inuyasha clenched his fists together in determination. "I'll find a way to make her stay so I won't have to ask."

"Even now, her uncertainty drives a wedge between you." Again Kikyou reached up and cupped Inuyasha's cheek as if to prove her point. He frowned but did nothing to stop her, his eyes going back to Kagome and watched as she looked away. "See?" Kikyou laughed coldly as Inuyasha growled. "You may love her, but as long as you are bound to me, Inuyasha, you will lose her."

"I will not lose her!" Inuyasha furiously denied, his heart in turmoil inside his chest.

And then, he surprised both himself and Kikyou by pushing past her and walking off, towards the bridge, towards Kagome, leaving Kikyou standing there. He managed to get all the way to the other side to come to stand before Kagome, his heart in his mouth, and the vulnerable expression in Kagome's eyes dried up any excuse he might have sought to offer her.

"K-kagome," was all he could manage, a sea of faces with wide-eyed stares surrounding the woman he loved, neatly tying his tongue up so that nothing more would come out.

"Inuyasha, last night, I felt a huge amount of youki energy being discharged. It was a disturbance like none that I have felt since the defeat of Naraku. What happened to the Shikon no Tama?"

It was Kikyou again, and Inuyasha quickly threw a resentful look over his shoulder to see her standing just a few feet behind him. Before Inuyasha could reply, Shirogane came limping into sight surrounded by a multitude of Shinidama chu, and Kikyou's eyes dilated in shock upon seeing him.

"That boy? That man? Who? Who is he?" she asked in a bemused way, and then before anyone could reply, she drifted in his direction, stopping just beyond the earshot of the rest of them as Shirogane dropped into a deep, reverent bow.

"Kikyou-sama," Shirogane murmured respectfully, his eyes on the ground at her feet. "I am sorry… I have failed you…"

"What is your name?" Kikyou asked, a soft light in her eyes as she examined this boy, no – this man – in front of her.

"Suketsune Shirogane," he murmured while still bent in his bow.

"You have not failed me, Shirogane," Kikyou sighed wearily. "I believe this was inevitable from the very beginning.. Where is your Tama now?" she asked.

Shirogane finally rose, slightly surprised by her fatalistic acceptance of his appearance and what that could only mean, removing the Forbidden Soul from his pocket.

"It was pulled from the Prayer Beads that help to seal its power while still inside our temple," Shirogane explained, "but I brought them with me and reattached them last night. Although it's a bit late now, considering the amount of power that's been unleashed"

"Tell me what happened," Kikyou requested without touching the Tama.

But Shirogane hesitated to begin and said, "Kikyou-sama, I believe you are in danger. Last night, I witnessed a struggle between the Tama and another Force for possession of a human soul and the Tama lost. And now I believe that both these Forces will seek the Forbidden Soul and its power. With the consciousness the Soul possesses, I also believe that puts you in danger. They might come for you as one tries to subjugate the other," Shirogane told her with unwavering certainty. "You, and the one you value above all others – you should go into hiding so that none can find you – not even Inuyasha."

Kikyou digested his words, weighing them carefully and after a moment murmured, "I will consider it, if not for my sake then for the one whose heart is most dear to me. Now tell me what happened."

Inuyasha watched, bemused, as Shirogane and Kikyou stood talking not really paying much attention until Shirogane reached into his pocket and pulled something from it that elicited a soft gasp from Kagome. Inuyasha's gaze sharpened then, his eyes fastened on the object. It was the Kinmotsu no Tama, but that's not why Kagome had gasped. Shirogane had attached it to a set of prayer beads that looked strikingly like…

"Hey, aren't those your old Kotodama beads, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked, pointing to the beads that Shirogane held between his fingers.

"N-no!" Inuyasha numbly denied in shock. _They couldn't be, could they?_

_Where in the hell had he gotten those?_ Inuyasha brooded while he gazed at the mirror image of himself holding those beads, feeling horribly shaken.

**Tengu **-- Crow-like oni that lives in the forest and mountains and can shape shift into animal and human form.

**Kotodama beads -- **the rosary beads that Kaede first used to subjugate Inuyasha and allowed Kagome to command Inuyasha to "SIT!", slamming him face first into the dirt

**Houshi **-- a Buddhist priest

**Shinidama chu** – Soul collector – the nagi type creatures (snake or serpent) that gather the human souls for Kikyou so that she can nourish the clay body and remain in the mortal realm

138


	9. 09: Eyes of a Child

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Eyes of a Child**

**  
**

Rin finds herself in a compromising situation while Sesshoumaru arrives ready to deal with Inuyasha. But what happens when Sesshoumaru fails to recognize Rin, the one he has come demanding atonement for?

Chapter Nine

Rin hummed softly to herself as she wrung out the last piece of wash and stood up from the stream. Gently shaking out the wrinkles, she headed towards the line she'd strung between two stout trees. The rest of her laundry was already hanging here shifting in the breeze, the white and scarlet pieces gleaming so brightly that they almost seem to be glowing when the sun hit them.

What was it about the crispness of freshly washed clothes? she mused with a satisfied sigh. For some reason it always made her feel better, but then, coming to this particular spot always made her feel better.

For most, wash day was a day of toil, but not for her. For her it was a time to come to one of her most favorite places, and one of the few times that she didn't have the heavy responsibility of guarding the Shikon no Tama. The scenery more than made up for the work, and though the respite didn't last long, she always savored the sound of the water and the hushed stillness of the forest around her while she scrubbed.

And today, she got to share it with her special, new friend Atsuji, she thought with a smile just as her eye caught his where he sat on a huge rock under the shade of the trees, his legs sprawled out in front of him, and the smile on her face widened.

"You know, as comfortable as you appear to be, Atsuji, I don't think your hakama are going to dry while sitting in the shade like that," she pointed out as she neatly arranged the last piece of her miko kimono over the line. "Perhaps it would have been better to sit on the ground closer to the stream where the sun is shining. Your clothes would dry faster that way."

Atsuji made a wry face and ran a hand down the length of his dark blue hakama, feeling the soggy, heavy folds. "Well if I'd thought that I might not get in your way, or somehow jinx you with my bad luck I might have done so earlier, but it would've been terrible had you also fallen in and gotten soaked," he told her.

Rin tilted her head and gave him a considering look. "You were only trying to help," she told him with a suspicious twinkle in her warm brown eyes, "Although I couldn't quite believe it when you told me that you'd never seen anyone do laundry before."

"Well, it's true," he replied a little peevishly, heartily wanting to forget how he'd come to be in his current condition. "In the Gyousei clan which is my clan, the servants take the laundry and bring it back. I never knew where they took it – only that it was clean when it returned – and since I'd never actually seen how it got that way, I thought it might be interesting to try cleaning it for myself."

"A noble endeavor to be sure," Rin agreed with a nod, "but usually the first rule of thumb to observe when you're washing something is not to let it go when you've submerged it into fast moving water!" She couldn't help but tease and watched his mouth pucker as if he'd just tasted something extremely sour.

"Yes, yes," he waved his hand at her in a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation, climbing up from the rock to amble towards her with loose-legged strides, "I realized that immediately when it started to float away. I did try to grab it." He pointed a long finger at her, "I just didn't realize that the bottom of the stream was so slippery. It didn't _look_ that slippery." His voice held a plaintive note, and then he added with a sigh, "Although I suppose it would be, considering how slippery fish are."

There was a moment of silence and then she burst out laughing, and watched his lower lip protrude into an adorable pout. "What does fish being slippery have to do with the bottom of the stream?"

"Why are you laughing at me?" he demanded petulantly, not answering her question.

"Because you're funny!" she replied, still giggling.

"I am not!" he grumbled, crossing his arms, watching her cover her mouth and stifle another giggle, thinking how pretty she was with her long, glossy hair drawn back, and her golden brown eyes sparkling so brightly.

"You know what?" she told him kindly, patting his arm, her head tilted to the side as she smiled warmly at him, "I think you try too hard. If you just relax, everything will be okay."

_She was touching him!_ he thought excitedly. Immediately he wondered if he could get her to teach him another way to kiss. All at once his ill-humor vanished, but as he watched, Rin's smile faded and was replaced by a look of disconcerted surprise.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he demanded, a faint frown worrying his brow.

"N-nothing," she replied self-consciously, pivoting, and walking towards the huge rock where he'd been sitting.

Just for a brief moment she thought she'd seen that same sly, crafty look from the night before reflected on his pretty face – the one that had gotten her into so much trouble, and it somehow made her nervous. Perhaps it would be best if she tried to stay busy while she waited for the laundry to finish drying, she mused judiciously.

"What are you going to do now?" Atsuji followed her, peering curiously over her shoulder as she knelt down next to her bow and quiver full of arrows. She reached inside the quiver, and he wondered what she was rummaging for, further intrigued when she pulled out a small cloth-wrapped bundle.

"Well --" Rising to her feet, her eyes searched the trees. "I thought I might play with Suzu for a while."

"Play?" he echoed, surprised and a little disappointed as he continued to eye the small packet.

If she was going to play with the bird, then Atsuji didn't see how he was going to bring up the subject of another kissing lesson. Birds and kissing… he just couldn't think of a way to put the two together in a conversation. But it didn't matter now anyway because the moment of sweet opportunity had passed and she was busy looking for her bird, he concluded regretfully.

"Suuuuuzuuuu!" Rin called, her fingers pulling at the knot on the bundle.

The trees were quiet until she set the bundle on top of the rock and slid the knot free to expose a small pile of shrieking mushrooms. Then there was the sound of rustling from overhead, and a trill of high pitched laughter. Atsuji turned and looked up in surprise, but then swiveled back around when he heard a note of Rin's own laughter echo softly next to him. Its resonance was much softer and sweeter than the bird's, and he sighed at the sound of it.

"I thought that might get your attention," she murmured softly.

"You did?" he sighed again, and then realized sheepishly that she was talking to the bird.

"Yes," Rin nodded. "She always comes out of hiding when you offer her a treat," She explained in a confidential whisper, turning her head to direct a knowing smile up at him as if she were departing a special secret just for his ears alone.

The feeling of closeness, of an intimacy between them at that moment, like they had known each other for a long time instead of just mere hours, gave him a warm feeling in the middle of his chest and he felt a broad smile break out across his face.

Rin wondered if he had any idea of just how beautiful his smile was. She was caught off guard by the sheer radiance of it, absently thinking that most women would be envious of such a smile. Suddenly she realized that she was staring at him and that he knew it, for his smile widened. She blinked, feeling a little flustered and embarrassed and let her gaze slide away from him to the little grey bird that had floated down from the trees. Suzu was now perched upon the rock, and she sat chattering at Rin, waiting patiently to be fed.

"So how exactly do you play this game of yours?" Atsuji asked in a breezy voice, breaking the awkward silence that had developed between them, "because I do believe she thinks it's lunchtime."

"Well, she's right, it is," Rin replied, trying fairly successfully to match his relaxed air. "I tried this game with a kemari ball, but she seemed to lose interest pretty quickly. So I switched to Shippou's mushrooms and they worked better. So now she gets to play before she eats, and hopefully, while she plays, she'll learn to better focus her scythes." And then with a mischievous glint in her eye, she picked up a mushroom and asked. "Do you want to play too?"

Atsuji nodded, so Rin reached out and grasped his hands, gently cupping them together. Then she dropped a generous amount of the mushrooms into them before taking the rest in her own hand.

With a raised eyebrow she asked, "Are you ready?"

"I suppose so," Atsuji replied easily, and then watched in dismay as Rin walked towards the stream. "Oh, but, do we really have to play over there? It's much…. dry -- er -- shadier… over here!"

He didn't want to face the possibility of again ending up face down in the stream.

"Shade?" Rin echoed with a ghost of a smile, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him reluctantly forward. "You don't need shade, you need sunshine! Sunshine is good for the soul, and it's good for your clothes too!" she added facetiously. "You're still not dry, and on top of that, you've not recovered your full strength yet. It would be bad for you to catch a chill right now. So standing in the sun for a little while will do you some good."

Atsuji groaned, anxiously eyeing the fast moving water of the stream. He just knew something bad was going to happen if he got too close to it.

But Rin seemed to understand his fears, for she stopped a few feet away from the rushing water and stepped in front of him.

Looking up at him over her shoulder she pointed to the ground and said, "You stay behind me right there, and we'll time our throws so Suzu really has to work to bounce them back to us, okay?"

Atsuji nodded in relief and Rin turned and held out her arm, calling for the little bird who transformed into her larger form. Suzu spread her wings and fluttered over to perch nimbly upon the young miko's arm. Her long talon's curled around Rin's forearm like small sickle blades, and yet Rin seemed unalarmed.

"Are you ready to show Atsuji what a good flyer you are?" Rin asked her, flicking a quick glance back over her shoulder at the aqua-headed youkai standing a few feet behind her, his beautiful eyes watching her with open curiosity.

Lifting her arm, Rin sent the Shrike into the air where the bird circled watchfully overhead, waiting for them to begin. From the very beginning, Atsuji could see how Rin's praise affected the bird and even though Rin had said mushrooms held her attention far longer than the ball, he personally believed it was Rin's effervescent personality that kept the bird interested in the game. It made her chatter happily and try harder to control her scythes enough so that the shrieking mushrooms came volleying back to them instead of getting smashed into the dirt or sent plopping into the stream.

At the start of the game, they both just tossed one mushroom. After a few throws however, Suzu's aim became so precise that they had to laughingly dodge the flying fungus because it hurt too much to try and catch them. Eventually they began to toss more, making it as high as eight before Suzu's scythes became too aggressive and she tried to volley all of them at once.

"Watch out!" Atsuji warned as he saw the force of the scythes cutting hard into the stream, sending up spikes of water.

It happened so fast that Rin barely had time to move. The ground in front of her exploded upwards beneath the force of Suzu's wind, and she hastily took a step back before she felt Atsuji's arm snatch her up and jerk her sideways to avoid the scythes. Closing her eyes, she stiffened, bracing herself for the ground but she was spared the pain. Instead, she collided against the hard wall of his chest as he held her tightly. Together they slid a short distance before finally coming to a halt, a strange gurgling sound rising in the back of his throat.

Dimly Rin was aware that Suzu was back in her smaller form, crying mournfully and that she had landed not far from where they were. But she was less concerned with that at the moment and more concerned with the twisted grimace on her friend's countenance. He had taken the fall flat on his back, and she worried about what had happed to the lacerations she had stitched up the previous night.

With the way they had slid across the ground, all his wounds could very well have been ripped wide open. Frantically, she struggled to sit up, but found she couldn't, locked close to Atsuji by the circle of his arms.

"Atsuji! -- Atsuji!"

Her urgent cries were met with silence and she straddled him, planting her knees on the ground for leverage to help pull herself upright and free from his restraining grasp. Now in a better position to see, she hurriedly yanked open his kimono, noting with rising concern the pasty color of his face and how he'd broken out into a sweat.

"Can you hear me?" she demanded, a hint of panic beginning to creep through her when he failed to open his tightly clenched eyes.

_Please be all right!_ she thought desperately. She let her fingers methodically move across his chest, checking each and every wound. She noted with relief that, thanks to his youkai abilities, most were already closing up and well on the way to healing.

"Atsuji," she tried again.

Her concerned gaze moved back to his face, and she caught her breath in surprise to find his luminous, aquamarine eyes wide open now. They were staring at her with an unusually intense expression, but as soon as he realized she was looking at him, the look was gone, and she felt his hands, which she hadn't realized were still wrapped around her waist, tighten.

"Are you all right?"

With her fingers, she gently wiped at the perspiration dotting his brow, and watched a crooked smile bend his lips.

"I think so," he croaked after a moment. "What about you?"

"Me?" Slowly she nodded. "You've saved me yet again," she mumbled gratefully, even though her expression still mirrored her concern. "But I'm beginning to think the price of my safety is much too high to pay though… your back--?" She bit her lip. "– Can you sit up so I can look at it?"

"… I think so," he replied hesitantly.

Before she realized what he meant to do, his fingers tightened even more, clutching her in a grip that bordered on being painful, and with a groan escaping his lips, he struggled to a sitting position. He had moved so quickly that Rin didn't have time to react, and thus, she found herself straddling his hips, her thighs thrown wide on either side of him in what felt like an indecent pose. To make matters worse, his head was slumped forward, resting squarely against her breasts, his face hidden by the long silky strands of blue-green hair that had tumbled across her chest and shoulders, floating away from the confines of the loosened cord at the back of his neck. His breathing had become uneven and it fell across the opening to her kimono, slipping inside to brush against the skin of her neck and chest, making her extremely aware of just how close they were.

With his arms around her and his breath against her, Rin felt like a terrified bird trapped in an unexpected cage.

It was all too intimate, too uncomfortable and she wanted to pull away, to put some distance between them, her body stiffening as his arms slid more firmly around her, holding her in place, pulling her closer to him so that she could feel the heat of him through her clothes.

"I'm… sorry, Rin," he gasped. It was then that the agony in his voice made her realize that their current position had not been intentional on his part and she felt her tension began to ease... "Let me just stay… for a moment, until it subsides," He murmured against her breasts.

Rin swallowed convulsively.

"Where -- where does it hurt?" Her voice didn't sound too bad, she thought with relief as she tried to hide her remaining discomfort behind the mask of ministering miko.

Her arms went around him to examine his back, but she ended up inadvertently pushing his face more firmly against the softness of her breasts. She would have been mortified had she not been distracted by the sound of his soft, indrawn breath. She worried that she had hit a tender spot as her fingers tentatively explored his back.

"There?" she asked anxiously.

"No," he gurgled after a moment, her scent making him slightly giddy despite the pain slicing through him.

His sister was called the Lily of the Gyousei Clan, but Rin; he thought as his senses swam with her incredibly flawless scent; she was more the Lily than his sister, Atsuji thought deliriously, breathing in her pure, clean smell.

Completely oblivious to how her closeness was affecting Atsuji, Rin slid her hand slowly down his back and knew the minute she'd found the spot that was paining him. His kimono was soaked through with blood, which meant he must have reopened one of his wounds when they'd fallen, and Rin's throat tightened at the realization.

"I'm so sorry, Atsuji," she mumbled remorsefully, "I never meant for you to get hurt."

"It's not your fault," he replied weakly, as the pain began to subside, and he was able to speak more comfortably. "Suzu just got a little excited that's all. And she needs practice… I know all about that – I seem to have the same problem – Apart from having no talent with weapons, I also lack the ability for strategizing and I can never seem to do exactly the right thing in a crisis – both of which I really need to practice…_a lot_… The only thing is, how do you practice strategy in a crisis?"

There was a trace of self-derision in his voice and it made Rin feel even worse for some reason. Rin didn't know how to respond to such a remark and she paused, giving herself a moment before she spoke again, not wanting him to know how much it had upset her.

"Can you sit on your own now? I really need to look at your back." Rin was proud at how reassuringly normal she sounded, glad that she'd managed to keep her tumultuous thoughts and emotions from creeping into her voice, especially when he shifted his face restively against her breasts, making her want to crawl out of skin from sheer unease.

As proud as she was of her feigned composure, she was completely unaware that her body was fairly screaming what her voice wasn't. She was stiffer than an iron rod, and Atsuji had regrettably become aware of the fact that she was not comfortable with their closeness. Realizing that this would perhaps be the last time he would ever get to touch her this way, he was reluctant to let her go.

"Atsuji?" her voice sounded weak and uncertain, and he knew he could no longer put it off.

"Aye," he mumbled heavily.

Rin waited as patiently as she could while Atsuji inhaled deeply several times as if steeling himself against the pain, and then after another long moment, he finally let his hands slide away from her. Had she chanced a look at his face and seen his bereft expression before she moved away, she might have realized that what he was experiencing went deeper than any physical pain.

But she didn't look. She was too concerned with his physical condition along with trying to regain some of her lost composure. So, instead, she immediately went behind him and asked him to pull his kimono from his shoulders. What she saw made her gasp softly. One of the deepest wounds was a mess, torn open when they had skidded across a tree root that lay half exposed upon the ground. And now the wound gaped, looking almost as bad as it had before she'd stitched it up last night, she thought in dismay.

Returning to her laundry, she took several linen cloths and an obi drying on the line and brought them back, soaking one of the cloths in the stream.

"I think it will be okay," she told him optimistically as she pressed the cold, wet cloth to the oozing wound. "It's just this one spot – the rest look like they're healing nicely. But this one was the deepest, and the one that I was most worried about last night too. You must have hit it especially hard when you landed." Her voice trailed away, guilt and remorse again washing over her at being the cause of his suffering.

"Ah, poor Suzu," Atsuji sighed, suddenly seeming to sense the weight of Rin's thoughts and wanting to alleviate them somehow. "Look at her," he gestured dramatically to the little bird who was perched on the ground not far from them, watching them in patent concern, aware that something had gone terribly wrong. "I think she realizes that we squished her lunch," Atsuji noted glumly, pointing to the trail of sadly sobbing mushrooms that lay covered in dirt now. "Oh wait, here's one, that doesn't look _too_ mangled" He picked it up and dusted it off, and then looked at Suzu with a raised brow. "What do you say, Suzu? Does it look edible?"

Immediately the little bird began to chatter at him and then landed on his shoulder where she fidgeted, shuffling her feet in anticipation as he held the mushroom out at arm's length, unsure of what to do with it.

Rin took one last look at Atsuji's back and saw that the bleeding had mostly stopped. So she pressed the dry cloth to it and tied the obi around it to hold it in place. Then she stood up, watching with a smile as Atsuji soothed the ruffled feathers of the shrike, just as he had tried to do for her. Her smile widened when he turned his head and directed a helpless stare at her.

"How do I give this to her without losing a finger? She seems rather… bloodthirsty!" he gulped.

"Put it in the palm of your hand and she'll take it from you without taking anything else," Rin told him with a twinkle as she walked back towards the laundry which had finally dried.

She assumed that the mushroom was gone for the next thing she heard was a loud, "Ita! She – she bit me!" followed by the flutter of wings as Suzu took off towards the trees while Atsuji stood up and hastily shrugged his kimono back onto his shoulders. Turning away from the stream he moved towards her with long, purposeful strides, a wounded look on his face as he clutched at his ear.

"I thought you said she wouldn't take anything else, and yet I'm sure there's a piece of my ear tucked in her greedy, little beak!" he complained again, his aqua eyes focused reproachfully on Rin's face as he retied his obi.

"Oh?" Rin inquired mildly repressing a grin as she pulled the wash off the line and carefully folded it, putting it in the basket at her feet. "But you see that was not a bite, Atsuji," she teasingly pointed out, "that was her way of showing affection, so it was more like a nibble. I bet it's not even bleeding!" Rin paused, and stood up on tiptoes to make a show of looking at his long, pointed youkai ear, and then smiled up into his eyes. "Nope, not one speck of blood -- not even a red mark. Just a little love nip."

"So, what you're saying is that, she… kissed me?" he asked with dawning comprehension. _Aha! So there WAS a way to get the bird and a kiss in the same conversation together_, he thought gleefully.

Rin continued folding the laundry, and laughed a little, before she replied, "I guess you could say that. She was showing you her happiness for the treat."

There was a long moment of silence while Atsuji pretended to think about it and then finally he casually remarked, "So this would be another one then?"

He watched her take down the last piece of laundry and then remove the line and place it in the basket on top, waiting eagerly for her answer.

"Another what?" she asked absently, not really paying attention to the direction the conversation had taken as she bent down to pick up the basket.

"A nibble on the ear – it's another kind of human kiss?" Atsuji clarified as he reached out and took the basket from her, his eyes locking with her startled ones.

"Oh… Well, yes, I suppose you could classify it as a, as a k-kiss," Rin mumbled, suddenly disliking where the conversation was headed.

"Would you teach it to me like you did the other one?" he promptly demanded and watched as her face filled with intense color.

"N-no! Atsuji! " she replied vehemently, avoiding his gaze and stepping around him towards the boulder where she'd left her bow.

Perhaps now would be a good time to head back to the village, she concluded hastily.

"Please, sweet miko, I just want to learn!" His plaintive voice begged as he followed her with the basket.

"And I've already told you, there are just some things that are not suitable for a miko to teach you!" she staunchly insisted.

"Well… aren't you…. aren't you also my friend?" he sighed with dogged persistence, his eyes searching her adamant profile.

_Aha_! he thought again.

Her expression had wavered a bit at that, becoming uncertain. Being a miko was important to her, and she would never relent as a miko, but as a friend, he might be able to sway her. He liked her much better as a friend, anyways, he happily reflected. She was just as soft and sweet as a friend, and _much_ more approachable, much more than some stuffy old miko!

Slowly he put the basket down at her feet and took her hand.

"Don't friends show affection towards one another?" Boldly he held her gaze, willing her not to look away.

Rin grimaced, feeling extremely awkward with this whole topic. "Of course they show affection, but not like that!" she gestured in embarrassment, lifting her shoulder in a fidgeting motion. "I would never kiss Inuyasha or – "

"What about Shippou?" Atsuji interrupted, raising his finger to point it at her, "I bet you've kissed him, haven't you?" and knew he was right when her gaze flitted guiltily away from him.

Rin tugged at her hand, a small furrow forming between her brows and Atsuji let her go, watching her turn on her heel and take a few agitated steps away from him. But he was quick to follow her and get back in front of her with that same dogged persistence.

"Shippou is different," Rin exclaimed defensively, coming to a stop as she once again found Atsuji barring her path, staring relentlessly down at her with those pleading aqua eyes. "I've only kissed him tucking him into bed at night, and sometimes when he's sad – But it's completely different! _You're_ completely different!" Her voice had risen, and her eye had taken on a defiant sparkle until Atsuji gave her a bewildered look.

"Why do I have to be different?" he asked in a wounded voice.

Rin could feel the dismay welling up inside of her. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but how was she supposed to make him understand? This was not something that was just a casual thing? Okay, well… for _some_ people it was a casual thing, Rin silently amended, but for her, it wasn't!

"You're different because you're older, Atsuji," she gently explained, laying a hand on his sleeve. Shippou is still just a baby –"

"He's not a baby," he interrupted in a sulky voice, "Seventy five is hardly a baby!"

Rin paused, a shocked expression on her face. Was Shippou really that old?

"He can't be – he only acts like he's six!" she observed weakly, and Atsuji could see that she'd never really given much thought to the aging process of a youkai.

"He's seventy five at least, if not older," he reiterated, his voice less annoyed now. "Perhaps as humans go, he acts like he's six, but if he had to, Rin, he could survive on his own, given that he is a youkai."

Rin looked doubtful at that. He didn't know Shippou the way she did – but… she _did_ have to admit that Shippou had taught her many of his useful kitsune tricks that had saved his and her life on countless occasions over the last ten years; things that, had he been on his own, would have indeed saved his life had no one else been there to protect him.

"H-how old are you?" Rin asked disconcerted, looking at Atsuji, thinking that if he were human, he would be about twenty one.

"I'm over two hundred and forty years old," he told her after a slight hesitation.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and her expression didn't change but he knew that it had affected her. She was looking away from him, towards the trees as if she were trying to collect her thoughts and Atsuji wished he knew exactly what it was that was on her mind.

"I - I wonder how old Sesshoumaru-sama is," she murmured softly to herself.

"He's nearly four hundred years old," Atsuji replied without thinking and then watched as Rin's head jerked around in surprise towards him.

"How did you know that? Do you know Sesshoumaru-sama?" she demanded anxiously, her hand going to her chest as her heart thumped just a little harder.

"Oh, well, I uh, -- " Atsuji paused, that same crafty look from before flitting across his face, and Rin knew what was coming. "--I'll only tell you if you teach me the kiss!" he declared and watched Rin's mouth twitch in irritation.

"Atsuji!" she exclaimed in aggravation, clenching her hands at her sides and watched as a mischievous grin spread across his face. "You think this is a good way to get what you want!"

"Yes I do," he replied, his grin widening.

Rin threw up her hands and growled. "Okay fine! If you want a bite then a bite is what you'll have," she declared, "let me just get Suzu back down here and –"

"No wait," he interrupted, his hand going up in alarm, "I didn't mean I wanted a bite, I only wanted a kiss!"

"Well, Atsuji, to be perfectly honest, I'm not that much of an expert on kissing, and I don't know how to perform the kind of kiss you're asking for. So Suzu will have to fill in for me on this one since she seems to have had more practice at it!"

Rin's eyes were flashing and her cheeks were flushed. Atsuji could see she was _quite_ irritated with him.

_Perhaps retreat would be best_, he cautiously deliberated. But she made that impossible by putting her hand out and grabbing him by the wrist.

"Where are you going?" she asked with a placid smile while her eyes continued to shoot sparks, "Isn't this what you wanted? A little affectionate nibble between friends?"

"Well…not…_precisely_." Atsuji winced, tugging on his arm, surprised by the strength of her grip. "At least not from a bird! But you know, even though you might not know how to do that kind of a k-kiss," he stammered, still determined to talk her into it, "you could at least try! Surely it's not that hard! I could even help a little!"

And then he had a brilliant notion. He decided to stop resisting, and let her pull him forward. Rin was surprised when her nose nearly collided with his chest. Almost at once he put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down towards her.

"See," he said, a buoyant sparkle in his eyes, "I've learned what you taught me! I'm close to you, leaning down, with my hands on your shoulders the way they're supposed to be. Now all you have to do is deliver the kiss!"

He tipped his head sideways in an exaggerated movement, displaying his ear prominently in front of her face, and Rin began to squirm, feeling awkward and shy despite his playful attitude. When she failed to move or speak, Atsuji again turned his head, his face closer to her this time, the sparkle in his eyes fizzling out.

He looked so downtrodden and he'd done so much for her. Suddenly her resistance melted away, and she found she no longer had the heart to keep refusing him. After all, what was a little kiss?

With a small, hesitant nod, she let him know she would do it. The sparkle in his eyes reignited with a vengeance, and again he turned his head, eagerly waiting.

_But how exactly was one supposed to do it?_ She wondered. She hadn't lied when she'd told him that she didn't know how to perform this kind of kiss and she hoped that he wouldn't know if she did it wrong. Eyeing his ear with a great deal of trepidation, Rin leaned forward, and placed an awkward kiss just below where his jaw met his earlobe, and she felt his fingers tighten on her shoulders. The next thing she knew, she was being crushed against his chest in a tight embrace, and she found it difficult to breathe.

Somewhere above her head, she could hear his ecstatic howl of, "Thank you! Thank you so much! That's two now! Two kisses!"

"--Atsuji! You're smothering me!" Rin's choked voice was barely audible, muffled against his kimono and drowned out by the sound of his excited barking.

"I - I can't believe it!" he waxed on, completely ignorant of what she was saying as she shifted against him trying to move away, the hands on her shoulders preventing it.

"Atsuji!" she tried again, tugging harder

"—two incredibly, soft,--" he blathered on.

"Atsuji!" she gasped.

"—Exceptionally wonderful, joyfully sweet kisses!" he sobbed in utter bliss.

"Atsuji!" Rin screeched against his chest, and finally he let her go.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" he bleated, noticing the flurry of color in her cheeks and the strands of dark hair that had come free from her hair cord while she had been smashed up against his chest. "I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't hear you."

"Hardly a moment… it was more like a second!" she muttered under her breath, feeling exasperated with him and how excited he'd gotten. But then she was distracted from her irksome feelings when she heard the strange baying of an animal not too far away. "Did you hear that?" she asked breathlessly her eyes wide and disbelieving, and Atsuji gave her a puzzled look. "It sounded almost like…"

_It couldn't be though_, she told herself. _Why would Aun Un be here?_

The answer came into view a few seconds later as Jyaken emerged from the trees, a very disgruntled frown on his face as he looked from Atsuji to Rin.

"Jyaken-sama!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes rounded in shock to see the little green imp who had been her constant companion as a child standing just a few feet away from her with his Nintoujou staff in one hand and the reins for Aun Un in the other.

"Jyaken," Atsuji greeted him in a deflated sounding voice, "you're back."

"Yes, numbskull, I am back," Jyaken grumbled repressively, "and I'm not alone, as you can very well guess, Atsuji." His lamp-like eyes narrowed as they slid from Atsuji's pretty face to Rin. "Sesshoumaru-sama will not be pleased to know what you've been up to since you've been here, you young fool -- and your sister won't be too happy about the human attachment you've formed either."

He sniffed disdainfully, his beak drifting into a frown, patently ignoring the utter shock on Rin's face. Her head swiveled between Atsuji and Jyaken as she realized that these two knew each other very well, while she tried at the same time to discern what their exact connection was.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is here then?" Atsuji asked, casting a swift, calculating glance at Rin, not missing her excited hiss of indrawn breath when Jyaken gave an abrupt nod.

_Why would Sesshoumaru-sama come here after all these years? To see her? That couldn't be possible, could it? _But the more likely answer came with Atsuji's next statement.

"He came with my sister, didn't he," he asked hollowly and Jyaken nodded. "I knew it! I knew Mizuna would come!" he fretted.

Rin's eyes darted between Jyaken and Atsuji as Atsuji carried on about his sister's arrival, and she realized with a sinking feeling that Sesshoumaru-sama must be betrothed to Atsuji's sister. Why did that make her feel so depressed? she wondered, bewildered.

Shouldn't she be happy that he'd found someone that would be the perfect mate for him? He'd always seemed so alone when she was a child, even though he'd had her and Jyaken. And she hadn't wanted him to be alone. She'd always thought that one day, he would find someone special and that they would all live together in a big fortress as a family – the silly dreams of a child, she knew now – but still, they were dreams for his happiness too.

So why would she be sad that part of that dream had been fulfilled for him?

Rin didn't understand it, but she didn't have time to ponder it either as Jyaken voice broke into her thoughts.

"I was sent to find you and bring you back to the village. Your sister wants to see you. She was most unhappy to find you weren't in the village," Jyaken informed Atsuji as he paced near the boulder, and then after a slight hesitation, his eyes moved to Rin and he grudgingly added, "Sesshoumaru-sama sent me after you as well, Rin-chan."

"I guess we'd best hurry," Atsuji muttered darkly, very unlike the Atsuji Rin was used to seeing as he picked up her basket, adding grimly, "it's never a good idea to keep Mizuna waiting."

High up on a thickening branch Inuyasha sat, reclining against the trunk of the tree where he'd seen Kagome standing as he'd returned from the falls. A forbidding frown weighed heavily upon his brow as he looked out past the bridge towards the empty road, down the path that she would be returning on. It was the same path he'd helplessly watched her take with that troublesome Shirogane so they could return through the well to their own time to gather supplies.

When Inuyasha had realized their intent, he'd wanted to argue about it. He'd wanted to ask Kagome to wait and let him take her himself. But she wouldn't even meet his gaze after Kikyou's little performance today.

Kikyou.

_Gah! Why did she have to return now?_ Inuyasha thought in agitation, s_o suddenly? _He hadn't even gotten a chance to spend time with Kagome, to try and smooth things over from when she'd left the last time.But then hadn't Kaede-baba told him that Kikyou would make sure that he would never have Kagome to hold? And hadn't Kikyou taunted him over that as well? Telling him that he wouldn't be able to ask Kagome to stay?

And then there was Shirogane. His disturbing presence and the fact that he looked so much like Inuyasha didn't help one bit. Nor the fact that he seemed to hold the Kotodama prayer beads that should be Inuyasha's.

_Just how the hell had he gotten those?_ came the resentful thought.

Kaede-baba had removed them then for Inuyasha ten years ago, just a few days before Kagome had left for her world, and he'd put them away, swearing to himself that he was glad to be rid of them. But because they were the last link that he had with Kagome, the last vestige of what remained of her presence, he would sometimes get them out, just to touch them. He would close his eyes, and picture her hair, her smile, her eyes. And while he was holding those beads, he could almost pretend that she was still there.

That was why he'd known when they'd gone missing.

Three years after she'd left, they'd disappeared. He'd looked frantically for them, knowing that there couldn't possibly be anyone who'd want to steal them for they had no real intrinsic value, nor did they have any real purpose other than what Kaede had designed them to do: tame Inuyasha. So who would want to take them? Or better yet, who would even know where to look for them in the first place? For he kept them in a tansu inside his home, and nothing else had been taken except for those beads.

And when those beads were gone, his last link to Kagome had disappeared. It had hurt for a long time, but he'd eventually gotten over it and had somehow managed to forget about it.

Until today.

Until he had seen those damnable beads attached to that damnable Tama in that damnable man's hand. The man that, if he had his way, would usurp Inuyasha's place and claim Kagome's heart for his own.

But where had he gotten those beads? The plaguing question went round and round in Inuyasha's head, and he was utterly baffled over it. Shirogane couldn't be responsible for the theft as much as Inuyasha would love to blame him for it.. That had occurred well over seven years ago. Someone else had committed that crime.

And when Shippou had come right out and asked him about the Kotodama beads once Kikyou had left, the explanation Shirogane had offered was they'd been in his family for as long as he could remember. He'd even pulled them from his pocket for everyone to see. Although he didn't offer to let anyone touch them, or get too close to them. He used the excuse that the barrier he'd created could be weakening and the youki of the Tama could affect them all, since it was quite strong.

Everyone seemed to believe him -- everyone except Inuyasha, who tended to think that Shirogane somehow knew more than what he was telling. But Inuyasha could hardly prove that, and so here he sat, stewing in his own misery, waiting for Kagome to return, worrying over the fact that she was avoiding him, thinking about those stupid beads, positively sick about the time that Shirogane was spending with her, knowing the priest would use every minute to his advantage to try and get closer to her.

"Inuyasha-sama!"

Inuyasha looked around. He could have sworn someone called his name. And then he felt a tiny prick against his face. Inuyasha's hand automatically came up, slapping hard against the side of his cheek and he looked down at it in mild surprise to see the tiny, partially balding youkai head of his sometimes fair-weather-flea-friend.

"Ita… It is so…good… to see you… Inuyasha-sama!" gasped Miyouga, reeling from Inuyasha's blow.

Miyouga's arrival usually meant one of two things: rumor or news. Inuyasha wondered which it was today.

"Miyouga-jiji? What are you doing here?"

"I'd heard that a human resembling Inuyasha-sama had come through the well--" he replied, staggering around in Inuyasha's palm for a few paces before finally recovering, "--along with a strange and powerful Tama. I came to see if the rumors were true."

"I see good news travels fast," Inuyasha noted with a sardonic twist to his lips.

"There's even a rumor that this human is a reincarnation of Inuyasha-sama-" Miyouga began.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha spat angrily, resisting the urge to ball up his fist, forcibly reminding himself that he'd squash Miyouga like a bug if he did. "Like I would reincarnate into a pompous, arrogant, jackass! -- I don't think so!"

Miyouga looked down at his hands and thought it best to remain silent on that one, saying instead, "I also heard that Kagome has returned. Is it true?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha huffed, adding acerbically, "is there anything you _haven't_ heard?"

"The Tama, Inuyasha-sama, can you tell me more about it?" Miyouga requested eagerly scooting forward to the edge of his palm.

"Well I don't know much myself," Inuyasha admitted, "but I'll tell you what I know."

After he was done, Miyouga sat ruminating deeply for a few minutes and then declared, "We need to consult Toutousai."

Inuyasha looked disconcerted at that. "What for?"

"Shirogane needs a weapon, obviously," Myouga explained.

Inuyasha gaped at him. "What for?" he reiterated belligerently.

"Well, he _is_ an ally," Myouga pointed out as he put his four arms behind his back and paced along Inuyasha's head and heart line down the center of his palm "If what you're saying is true, and Shirogane came through the well, then he would have to have some youkai blood in him, even—" Miyouga held up his hand to stall the argument he could see ready to fly from Inuyasha's lips "—even if he is of no relation to you. Just because it's not Inuyasha-sama's blood does not mean that it's not youkai blood flowing through his veins. It would have to be for him to travel through the well without the aid of a Tama. He will definitely need a weapon – one that doesn't pierce or cut, as you have pointed out -- and the only weapon smith I know of that might be capable of producing such a feat is Toutousai."

"I suppose you're right," Inuyasha admitted grudgingly, momentarily distracted from his conversation with Miyouga by someone yet again calling him by name.

"Oh, yes, that's right," Miyouga muttered jumping out of Inuyasha's hand and onto the trunk of the tree as Inuyasha leaned forward to look down beneath him. "I meant to tell you earlier, but I just forgot," Miyouga laughed uncomfortably, "I also came to inform you that Sesshoumaru-sama is on his way to see you…"

Inuyasha turned his head and directed a baleful glance at Miyouga, who just grinned sheepishly and waved.

"So sorry!—" The words were left hanging in the air as Miyouga disappeared.

Off to find a nice, safe place to hide, no doubt, Inuyasha fumed, staring down at his brother who stood just beneath him looking up at him with thinly veiled impatience.

"Come down, Inuyasha, I want to talk to you." His voice was smooth and seemingly unconcerned, but his words were couched in the form of an order nonetheless, and Inuyasha's jaw tightened mulishly at the high-handedness of it.

Sesshoumaru flicked a cursory glance at Mizuna who leaned petulantly against the tree trunk, examining the tip of her boot, and he felt the antagonism he'd held in check for their entire journey begin to break free.

Back in Hokkaido he'd warned that he wouldn't wait for her. But she'd managed to make him wait nonetheless by brow beating Jyaken into doing her bidding. She thought her tactics were so clever, Sesshoumaru reflected scornfully. By using Jyaken to pander to her complaints for food or for something to keep her warm as they'd crossed the mountains, Sesshoumaru had indirectly allowed her to do what he said he wouldn't. He wouldn't wait for her, but he would wait for Jyaken and thus, they'd arrived here much later than he'd anticipated.

Emboldened by what she deemed were successful acts of defiance in demonstrating to him that she could indeed make him wait; she'd lost the false air of penitence she'd adopted to gain his help, wearing instead a mantle of smugness for the latter part of the journey, feeling she'd succeeded in getting the better of him.

Sesshoumaru had refused to acknowledge what he considered was the latest manifestation of her increasingly duplicitous nature and had done his best to stifle his hostilities and ignore her. But now he let all the irritation towards Mizuna that he'd held in check during their trip bubble to the surface, directing it towards not her, but at his brother who seemed bent on ignoring his presence.

Moving with incredible swiftness Sesshoumaru bounded upwards, landing with easy grace on the limb in front of where Inuyasha was slouched, and stared imperiously down at him.

"Did you not hear me?" he inquired coldly, raising his foot and swiftly applying it to Inuyasha's side, knocking him out of the tree. "I said I want to speak with you."

Inuyasha landed on his side with a thud, and bounded to his feet, but he wasn't up quick enough before Sesshoumaru was back on top of him, his fist in his face, knocking him back to the ground, flat on his rear.

"Jeez!" Inuyasha exclaimed, leaning back on one hand to glare up at Sesshoumaru, while he rubbed his jaw with the other. "What the hell was that for?"

"Get up," Sesshoumaru demanded frigidly. "I'm not finished yet, Inuyasha."

"Finished with what? What the hell did I do this time? This can't be your grudge about Tetsusaiga still! Get over it already! Jeez!" Inuyasha exclaimed, climbing to his feet.

Again Sesshoumaru moved forward, and Inuyasha managed to dodge the first punch, throwing a few of his own punches. Sesshoumaru easily dodged all of his swings like they were in slow motion, but Inuyasha wasn't so lucky. Again he went crashing backwards, this time a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth from the force of his brother's blow.

"Are you gonna tell me what the hell it is I did that's got you so pissed?" Inuyasha grimaced, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, "or wait, let me guess – this is about the rock I threw at Jyaken isn't it? … Jeez, if I'd known you were going to be so sensitive about it, I would've tried throwing one at him a long time ago…" he muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Sesshoumaru stared impassively down his nose at his little brother and ignored his jibe.

"It's not what you did," he autocratically intoned, "It's what you didn't do. Ten years ago, I gave you guardianship of Rin with the full understanding that you would protect her."

There was a moment of silence as the implications of what Sesshoumaru was saying sank in.

"I have protected her!" Inuyasha exclaimed caustically, "but what the hell would you know about it! You've never even been here once to see how she's been!" Again, Inuyasha slowly clambered to his feet, "So don't even try to pretend like you care! Hell I really _SHOULD_ have thrown that rock sooner to get your aristocratic ass down here, instead of seeing you sit back and send that ugly, green toad of yours as a substitute! I know it would have made Rin happy to see you since she thinks she's guarding the Shikon no Tama for you to help you establish a dynasty or a kingdom or whatever the hell it is you're trying to do! - not like you really care, or anything!"

Inwardly Inuyasha winced, immediately regretting his words. He'd allowed his temper to override his common sense which was often the case for him and spoken mainly because he was heartily sick of remaining silent regarding Rin's unwavering devotion to Sesshoumaru when the slouch did nothing to deserve even one small sliver of her respect. Unfortunately, the one person he should have _never_ said anything to was the one that was hearing all his gripes. He just hoped to god Rin never found out; otherwise she'd feed him his liver for breakfast, or worse, feed him someone else's liver for breakfast in one of her homemade teas.

Inuyasha really didn't expect much of a reaction to his verbal outburst. But something he said must have hit a nerve for Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed at his words.

I have no interest in mingling with the human world." He gestured dismissively towards the village "I left her here because she needed to be with her own kind, and you were perfect to protect her, Inuyasha. A hanyou like you." There was no mistaking the subtle note of distaste in his voice, "who seems to delight in cavorting with humans seemed ideally suited for the task – unlike a full-blooded youkai like me who has no place in the human world. But I should have realized that being a hanyou meant that you were destined to fail me sooner or later." As he spoke, his voice became harsh with rising anger and his amber eyes churned with a pent up violence. Reaching for Toukijin, he withdrew it from its scabbard, declaring icily, "I will not make the mistake of relying on you again."

"I still don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Inuyasha snarled. Taking out his own Tetsusaiga, he crouched down, his eyes focused watchfully on Sesshoumaru's blade.

"Last night, you failed Inuyasha. You failed to protect her," Sesshoumaru stated and watched as Inuyasha's mouth dropped open in incredulity.

"Ten years, and she gets wounded once… just a few scratches… and you want to beat the living hell out of me for that?" Inuyasha's brows shot up in sheer amazement, truly stunned that his brother was so furious over a few minor scrapes.

But his reaction didn't go over well with Sesshoumaru, for his face darkened, and he watched as Sesshoumaru drew back his arm and swung Toukijin, releasing a torrent of youki. Inuyasha quickly dodged the rain of energy, but found it more difficult to deal with the barrage of feints and thrusts as his brother rapidly attacked, driving him across the ground away from the tree and along the bank of the stream.

They fought for some minutes, the clang of their swords the only sound, until in the distance Inuyasha heard a woman's voice calling out to them. She was screaming his name and Sesshoumaru's as well, but Inuyasha was too busy trying not to get sliced in two to pay heed to what she was saying. And then, out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw a bolt of light come racing towards where his blade was locked with Sesshoumaru's. Sesshoumaru must have seen it too, for together they both broke away from each other, jumping back and out of range of the light.

As the light struck the ground, Inuyasha recognized it immediately as one of Rin's arrows. He turned his head and saw her standing just beyond the bridge next to Jyaken, Aun Un and Atsuji, her bow in her hand, another arrow nocked in place, just in case the first had failed to do its job, he supposed.

"Are you mad!" Rin screamed in alarm at Inuyasha.

His lips quirked sourly at her question, wondering why she'd directed it at him. Sesshoumaru was the one that had started the whole thing! Inuyasha watched her as, after a brief hesitation, she put her arrow back in her quiver and rushed headlong across the bridge towards him. Peering up at him, her eyes reflected her horror as she pedaled to a stop in front of him, her bow still clutched tightly in her hand. Errant wisps of black hair straggled around her face while she gasped to catch her breath from her desperate run.

Tilting her head, she looked back over her shoulder, momentarily gazing at Sesshoumaru who had retreated to stand next to Mizuna by the tree. Then she redirected her gaze back to Inuyasha, and demanded apprehensively, "Why are you fighting with Sesshoumaru-sama, Inuyasha?"

Before Inuyasha had a chance to say anything, Sesshoumaru spoke up, his voice cold and condemning as he eyed his brother and the dark headed miko who had so audaciously interrupted their fight.

"You and your interfering, human, women-friends," he derided. "Tell her to move, Inuyasha, or I shall cut her in two along with you."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he stared incredulously at his brother.

Did he not recognize her?

He heard the soft hiss of Rin's indrawn breath and knew that she'd realized the same thing as well. Inuyasha would make sure his brother paid for his cold cruelty. There was no excuse for hurting her so deeply, he thought, heatedly. Feeling for her, Inuyasha laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and opened his mouth to hurl a few insulting words at his brother, intent on beating the snotty look off Sesshoumaru's face.

But Rin obstructed his objective by speaking first, and, embarrassingly enough, pleading on his behalf completely undermining any vindictive thing he might have said.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama," she beseeched, taking a few steps away from Inuyasha so that his hand slid away from her shoulder, "Surely you did not come all this way just to fight with Inuyasha?"

As the disheveled miko stepped forward, something about her nagged at the back of Sesshoumaru's mind. Her wide brown eyes, pointed chin and long dark hair didn't seem especially familiar to him, and yet he felt like he should know her. And then the wind caught her scent, carrying it to his nose and he reeled in shock as he recognized it immediately.

Rin.

Awareness reverberated through his body like an unpleasant shockwave as he mechanically returned Toukijin to its sheathe.

But where was the face of the child that he'd left? The sweet smile of the innocent that had followed him around so faithfully all those years ago? And then he remembered that humans aged rapidly, and it felt like someone had dropped a lead weight into the middle of his chest.

Of course, he'd known that she'd grown. His keen sense of smell had told him that a long time ago, told him that her body had ripened and was capable of childbearing now. But his eyes had still been looking for the face of that innocent child, the smile of devotion from the one that had once loved him so.

It was with a horrible sinking feeling that he realized the child he sought had slipped away and was gone forever.

When Sesshoumaru just continued to stare at her, his features immobile and his voice silent, Rin tried again, saying awkwardly, "I don't know why you're fighting with Inuyasha, but surely whatever you're differences, they can be settled in some other manner beyond the sword—"

Then she broke off uncertainly as the incredibly beautiful youkai woman standing next to Sesshoumaru-sama suddenly stepped forward, muttering under her breath. Her full lips were pulled into an impatient frown and her aquamarine eyes were cold and hard as they gazed at Rin.

_Who was this little tart?_ she thought furiously, _addressing_ _Sesshoumaru with such familiarity?_ Mizuna wanted to get this over with, to get her brother, who was standing just a few feet away from Inuyasha now, and go home. If Sesshoumaru wanted to kill his brother, then she would get this little tart out of the way to hurry things along, for she had become heartily sick of this tiny, flea infested village long before they had even gotten here.

"Did you not hear Sesshoumaru, girl?" Mizuna's velvety voice demanded sharply as she sashayed a few steps forward. "He said get out of the way, —" she paused and reached over her shoulder for her yari, "—or face the consequence of being cut in two!"

"Onee-chan! No!" Atsuji bellowed in alarm.

Well versed with the tenor of his sister's moods, he'd begun sidling towards Rin, warily watching Mizuna as she got closer to the young miko. The minute he saw her hand go up, he knew she was reaching for her yari, and he immediately broke into a sprint. Leaping madly towards Rin, he knocked her to the ground, protectively shielding her from his sister's deadly weapon.

Atsuji cringed, his eyes welded shut as he waited to feel the cutting force of Mizuna's Tidal Strike against his back. But there was nothing. No youki strike. Nothing but the flutter of the soft breeze ruffling through the length of his hair and the tiny frame of Rin's body beneath him as they huddled against the ground.

"At- Atsuji," Rin stammered in a strangled whisper. Her cheek was pressed against her bow and with Atsuji's weight bearing down uncomfortably against her back, the long scratches on her face began to smart. "Atsuji, please," she called again, catching her bottom lip with her teeth in pain, unable to move her head.

Her voice finally prompted him to open his eyes and he chanced a peek, peering beneath the shelter of his arm to see Sesshoumaru-sama tightly gripping Mizuna's wrist, holding her yari in mid-air and keeping her attack at bay.

"This is taking far too long, and I'm tired of waiting for you to finish your business! Besides, it's not like you didn't warn that impertinent shrine maiden!" Mizuna hissed as her eyes locked with Sesshoumaru's, a slow burn igniting in her cheeks at being so publicly humiliated.

"I don't recall asking for your help, Mizuna," he informed her arrogantly, his amber eyes blazing down at her as he forcefully pushed her arm to her side and yanked the yari from her hand.

He stepped behind Mizuna who stood stiff and wooden, her breasts heaving as she heard him advise her with soft menace, "Don't meddle in my affairs again unless you're invited."

And then he unceremoniously shoved her yari back into its sling across her back, noting the stain of color along her aristocratically high cheekbones as he did so. She should feel fortunate that it was only her pride that had suffered from this little incident considering how enraged he was. However he knew that such a thought would never occur to her as narcissistic as she was. Perhaps it was fitting then that her pride was what had been wounded most, he concluded with savage satisfaction.

Then without another word or look, Sesshoumaru stepped away from her. He glided towards Inuyasha who was just behind Atsuji and Rin, gaping at the aqua-headed idiot in front of him.

Inuyasha had been completely rendered speechless at Atsuji's display of heroic stupidity, and he wondered if the young youkai had even considered the fact that Inuyasha could have easily picked Rin up to carry her to safety without the need for Atsuji's lunge towards the ground. If Sesshoumaru hadn't stopped Atsuji's hot-headed sister from using her weapon, Atsuji could be dead, and for no good reason too! Inuyasha opened his mouth to yell at the idiot about thinking things through a little more, but then stopped when he spied his brother heading their way.

Thankfully Sesshoumaru's focus seemed to have shifted away from him. All of his attention now seemed to be reserved for the two young figures lying entangled en masse on the ground at Inuyasha's feet.

Glad to see the end of his brother's temper tantrum, Inuyasha quickly sheathed Tetsusaiga. Then he lifted his foot and nudged Atsuji in the side with it, muttering lowly, "Get up, you moron, unless you want Sesshoumaru to step on you."

But Atsuji didn't even manage to get one elbow propped up on the ground before Sesshoumaru was there, grabbing him by the scruff of his kimono and dragging him to his feet.

"S-sesshoumaru-sama," Atsuji stammered with an awestruck expression as he stared up into the face of his sister's betrothed. Atsuji was tall, but Sesshoumaru-sama was taller still. "I – I – I…" Unable to string a sentence together, he ducked into a bow, his head level with Sesshoumaru's waist. "You saved Rin," he mumbled gratefully towards Sesshoumaru's black boots. "Thank you."

Inuyasha noted that Sesshoumaru's amber eyes flickered appraisingly over Atsuji as he impassively ignored the young youkai's stammered words of thanks. Sesshoumaru's silence only seemed to overwhelm Atsuji all the more and he began to incoherently babble about how great he thought Sesshoumaru was.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and with a snort of disgust he immediately bent down to help Rin to her feet. With a grateful smile she took his hand, but when he tried to lead her a few steps away, she immediately disengaged herself. Her eyes brightened with concern and she made a beeline for Atsuji as she spotted the wet crimson patch on the back of his kimono.

"Oh no! You're bleeding again!" she gasped in dismay.

Rin pointed to the new stain and Atsuji momentarily turned towards her. But then Mizuna's cloyingly sweet voice called to him and he immediately pivoted in his sister's direction. Her beatific smile was fixated on her brother and she patently ignored everyone else as she slowly approached the small group. Atsuji tensed, and suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to get to her, as if he was afraid that she would do something outrageous.

But Rin reached out and caught him by the sleeve, worried about the blood, and her fingers made him pause. He turned his head and their gazes met for a brief moment. It was the first time she'd seen such a serious, mature expression in his eyes, and it took her aback. It made her realize that she didn't really know him that well at all. Something of what she was thinking must have shown on her face, because all at once, his eyes lightened, and he gave her a charming, boyish smile that was meant to reassure her. It didn't. Then he tuned and without a word, pulled away from her grasp to head towards his sister. Mizuna had paused a short distance away and was waiting impatiently for him, eyeing Rin with open hostility.

As her gaze followed Atsuji, Rin couldn't stop the worried frown that pulled at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes lingered on the wetness slowly spreading across his back and without fully realizing it; she started to take a step forward, intent on trailing after him. His second dive to the ground must have further damaged his wound, she surmised. And that was why it had soaked through her makeshift bandage. There was no telling how much blood he was loosing, she fretted, but Inuyasha put a staying hand on her arm, and held her back.

Casting a glance up at him, she opened her mouth to protest but he gave a warning shake of his head not to interfere. Looking away she bit her lip and closed her mouth, her brows drawing together in frustration.

"He's a youkai, Rin," Inuyasha said in a low voice, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. "he can handle it."

Again, her eyes were drawn to her friend as he walked with his sister. His head hung in a pose of shame as Mizuna gesticulated sharply at him, her head tilted close to him quietly berating him; for what, Rin was not certain.

Why was she so worried? Inuyasha was right. He was a youkai. He could handle it.

But for some reason despite the fact that Rin had told him that he was different than Shippou, in reality he seemed very much like Shippou: so helpless in so many ways -- like an overgrown child, and she was afraid for him, afraid that something might happen to him. And even though he'd saved her, she felt like she needed to watch after him, like she should protect him if she could.

Then her eyes flickered to Mizuna who continued to motion sharply at her brother and Rin squelched the urge to again step towards them, knowing that Inuyasha was right -- it would be wrong to interfere and that she mustn't act on the words echoing through her head – those words should be a mantra for his sister and not Rin…

_I only want to protect you…_

Feeling frustrated, her eyes remained fastened to Atsuji, a strong maternal outrage building within her. Rin clenched her fist, wishing he would stand up for himself and not just sit there and take his sister's verbal abuse. But then she calmly reminded herself that she didn't know much about his relationship with his sister either. There could be a very good reason why he didn't say anything to Mizuna…

Rin paused in mid-thought, the image of Atsuji's distressed countenance from last night rising before her as she remembered how upset he'd become when he'd realized his sister would most likely be coming here. Perhaps he was afraid that standing up to her would invoke more of her wrath. Rin recalled that he'd said Mizuna had a terrible temper when crossed… And she _did_ have a terrible temper. Rin could see that for herself. Perhaps that was why he didn't stand up to her, she thought sadly, suddenly feeling sorry for Atsuji.

On the heels of this last thought, Rin gradually became aware that Sesshoumaru-sama was studying her and her thoughts became muddled as she grappled with a sudden self-consciousness – an issue she'd never experienced with him in the past.

_Why had he come? _

And then she remembered, and her eyes left Atsuji to again study the incredibly provocative figure of the aqua-headed woman standing by Atsuji's side. This was his bride to be, this beautiful, temperamental youkai who had lashed out at her.

He had come because of Mizuna, and she was here for Atsuji.

A horrible sense of shame assailed Rin as she felt the stirrings of a deep anger under lied by an unfathomable longing to see this woman disappear.

_I should be better than this_, she thought, disconsolately. She put her hand to her chest, feeling a heaviness that she didn't like and tried to let the feelings go. They were beneath her as a miko.

_No_, she silently amended, closing her eyes determined to be rid of them, _they are beneath me as a person_.

Sesshoumaru stood silently watching Rin, his eyes moving intently over her face. It intrigued him how openly she displayed her emotions. That had not changed about her at least. Even as a child her emotions had been easy to read, and he could see that having grown to full womanhood, she had not adopted the habit many youkai and mortal women had of trying to shield her feelings behind a mask.

But although he might be relieved to see this aspect of her personality hadn't changed, he wasn't at all pleased to see the concern that openly flooded her countenance. And he was even less pleased to discover the one responsible for it.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered briefly to Inuyasha. The obvious closeness she had with his brother; Sesshoumaru had come expecting that. Indeed, in a way, he was glad for it, because he knew that friendship had been important to the light-hearted child that Rin had been. Also, it was only natural for a closeness to develop between them. After all, Inuyasha had been her guardian and protector for these past ten years.

_And the fact that Inuyasha was in love with another human woman ensured that their relationship would always remain supportively neutral and purely platonic_ – whispered a nasty little voice in the back of his mind, a voice that Sesshoumaru sharply ignored.

But the pretty boy Atsuji… Sesshoumaru's critical eyes swept to the foolish brother of his vainglorious betrothed and he felt the stirring of a very dark emotion that wasn't exactly hate, for he found he couldn't hate Atsuji.

Just how exactly had Rin formed such a strong attachment for this foolish boy in such a short amount of time? He reflected grimly. From what Jyaken had told him, Sesshoumaru already knew that Atsuji was infatuated with Rin, so it came as no surprise that Gyousei's first born son had formed protective feelings for her.

But that Rin seemed just as protective of him made Sesshoumaru scowl.

_How was it_ _that an incompetent pup like Atsuji could insinuate himself_ _into her affections, within just a matter of days_?

Sesshoumaru let his gaze trail away from the brother and sister whose heads were still bent close together and return broodingly to Rin. It troubled him to think she would bestow her loyalties that easily, especially to one so lacking in abilities as Atsuji. His gaze became speculative as he continued to eye her while she watched Atsuji and Mizuna, her face continuing to reflect a myriad of emotions. He had no idea how Atsuji had managed it but he certainly intended to find out.

Rin had finally managed to empty her heart of the simmering anger that threatened to boil over inside her. But when she finally opened her eyes, she found she no longer had a clear view of Atsuji and Mizuna. Sesshoumaru-sama had moved quietly in front of her and now all she could see was the mantle of fur coiled around his right arm and shoulder and the v-shaped neck of his pristine crimson and white kimono. Disconcerted, she blinked and slowly looked up to find his amber eyes focused intently on her face as if he was trying to read her thoughts.

Color flooded into her face for no apparent reason, and she suddenly felt very shy and awkward. Confused, she looked away from him, down at his armor plate, and tried to get a grip on her emotions.

_What is wrong with me?_ she silently berated herself.

Sesshoumaru-sama was her second family! He was her hero! She'd loved and admired him for as long as she'd known him! But then her stomach filled with butterflies on the heels of this last thought and her grip tightened convulsively on her bow. Completely bewildered by the chaotic emotions swirling inside her, she pushed them away.

"Come, let us walk," he murmured. Without waiting to see if she followed, he turned on his heel and headed towards the bridge, moving away from Inuyasha, away from the village and away from Mizuna and Atsuji.

Rin looked uncertainly at Inuyasha who just shrugged at her and after an infinitesimal pause in which her eyes flickered towards Mizuna, she followed Sesshoumaru-sama, wondering where he was going.

The sun was just beginning to set. Once they crossed the bridge, Rin immediately spied Jyaken-sama right where she'd left him, crouched patiently next to Rin's laundry basket with Suzu perched on his black hat, and the reins of Aun Un in his hand. He broke into stammered speech when they approached, but Sesshoumaru-sama didn't even look his way, and the voice of his faithful servant petered out as Sesshoumaru-sama blithely strolled by, heading north of the rice fields. Rin gave the green imp a sympathetic smile and a wave as she too passed him, noting that they were moving in the direction of Inuyasha Forest.

As they continued onward, Rin turned her head, and watched their shadows spill across the ground, Sesshoumaru-sama's stretching long and tall and hers trailing after, much smaller and slighter. It somehow reminded her of their past, a faint echo of the carefree child who used to walk in his footsteps and went everywhere with him or waited faithfully for his return. How she missed those days, missed being with him, hearing his voice, seeing his calm face, feeling his reassuring presence…

But he was here now, a little voice whispered to her. Then she put her hand to her chest and felt her heart fluttering around like a bird, knowing it wasn't the same, that it never would be the same.

Back then, when they'd walked in silence, it never seemed as uncomfortable as it did now, and as a child it never crossed her mind to worry about anything. That they were together and that she was happy: that was all that had mattered at the time.

What had changed? Was it her? It had to be her, she mused, for he seemed almost unchanged, she reflected, studying his long, moonlight-colored hair and his broad shoulders, the only parts of him she could see at the moment from her vantage point.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru-sama turned and it startled her a bit but then she looked around. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't realized that they were this near the forest. Sesshoumaru-sama abruptly veered from the road, cutting through a field of high grass towards the line of trees that signaled the entrance to Inuyasha Forest.

He was walking slower now as if feeling his way, and once or twice he paused. Rin remained silent behind him, stopping when he did. She tried to keep her eyes on his back and her mind blank at the same time, but it was difficult since his overwhelming presence was what seemed to be spawning her confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Rin tried to distract herself by attempting to identify the smells of the sweet grasses and the late-blooming flowers in the meadow, as she walked. Then she briefly looked up at the sky, observing that it had gone from light blue to dull grey. It would be dark soon, and she began tracing all the faint stars she could see, watching their glimmer brighten as the sky got darker. Finally when the stars were no longer visible through the trees' canopy once they entered the forest itself, she resorted to counting the steps they were taking to try and keep her thoughts busy, idly wondering at the same time how far Sesshoumaru-sama intended to go.

After a while though, she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew where he was taking her, and a few minutes later, she knew she was right when they broke through the trees and into the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well stood.

Sesshoumaru-sama's steps again slowed and Rin stopped following him and began watching him instead. He was very beautiful, she observed in something approaching awe. She'd always loved his pale, silver hair ever since she was a child. It was so long and it glistened vibrantly like an egret's feather in the light, and shimmered like the moon's soft glow in the darkness. But there was more than just his hair that made Sesshoumaru-sama beautiful. The dark crescent moon centered on his forehead, a mystical symbol of what Rin knew not, drew the eye to his well shaped brows, and the crimson marks on either side of his face accentuated his high cheekbones and called attention to the slant of his beautiful amber eyes and their long dark lashes.

It could easily be said that he was more beautiful than Atsuji, she realized after a moment but beautiful in a different way, for Atsuji's beauty was far more feminine than Sesshoumaru-sama's. Sesshoumaru-sama could never be mistaken for a woman. His shoulders were much too broad, his chin much too defined, and he walked with a sensual grace that was unmistakably masculine.

Rin watched him now as he prowled around the clearing, his eyes focused and sharp, but seemingly looking at nothing in particular. Her gaze followed him, uncertain of exactly what it was they were doing here, but after he had made a complete circuit of the clearing he finally turned to her and spoke for the first time.

"Atsuji's blood-scent hangs in the air all around this area," And it finally dawned on Rin that he'd been checking the clearing not just for visual clues but for those that he could inhale as well. "I could smell it even as we flew over this region on the way to the village. I know this is where he was wounded last night, but many other scents linger here as well, so it is hard to tell what else happened. I will rely on you to tell me that." Sesshoumaru-sama gave her an expectant look.

So that was it, she thought. He wanted an explanation for Atsuji's injuries. Perhaps to appease the worries of Atsuji's sister, she thought heavily. Although, come to think of it, she didn't appear to be all that worried about him when they'd left the village…

"Rin—"

Sesshoumaru-sama's sharp voice dragged her out of her reverie with a start and she hastily apologized.

"Atsuji, well h-he, you see, yesterday…" Rin couldn't seem to put her thoughts into words, for Sesshoumaru-sama's eyes suddenly seemed so brutally cold.

She didn't remember his gaze ever being like this as a child and a sense of loss began to steal over her. Had much of it been an illusion, those happy memories of her childhood? Had his eyes been filled with coldness even then, but she'd been too young to see? Had she been just a burden for him to carry – is that why he had turned her over to Inuyasha? So he would no longer have to endure her presence? That thought was an extremely painful one, and she didn't want to believe it. But somehow it was beginning to feel as if something precious was being stolen from her, for she could no longer be comfortable in Sesshoumaru-sama's presence. Avoiding his gaze, she looked down at the bow clenched in her hand and nervously shifted it to her other hand. Anything was better than having to face the coldness in those eyes, she thought miserably.

"Ats-suji, appeared here yesterday and acted very bravely. He was very helpful, Sesshoumaru-s-sama," Rin murmured dutifully. "Although, he isn't very skilled with his weapon –"she broke off and shook her head in confusion. She was sure this would reflect poorly on Atsuji with Sesshoumaru-sama, and she tried to think of more positive things to tell him, things that he could proudly tell his betrothed. Drawing in a deep breath she tried again, "H-he is very strong, and v-very brave. When we were in trouble, he did not h-hesitate to step forward and jeopardize his own life for the sake of mine… and e-even after y-yesterday he has tried to do his best to help me no matter what."

Again Sesshoumaru-sama called her name sharply, this time, taking several steps closer to her, and she looked up in surprise to see his countenance dark with anger.

"I do not wish to hear you sing the praises of Atsuji," he told her in silky accents and he was surprised to see her mouth drop open in confusion.

"But I thought you wanted to know about Atsuji, Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured, a faint questioning tone in her voice. "Isn't that why we came here?"

The look in her eyes told him she didn't understand at all what he wanted so it was up to him to make her understand.

"What I want to know," he paused and brought his hand up. Gently he cupped her chin, tilting her face so he could better see it in the gathering darkness before his fingers slid softly across one of her cheeks, pushing a few wisps of hair behind her ear. Instead of moving his hand away when he was through, he let his fingertips trace the thin, red, scar-like lines that crisscrossed her cheekbones, noticing how her eyes widened as he did so. "What I want to know," he reiterated his voice getting softer and his eyes losing some of their coldness, "is how you got these marks--" His probing gaze trailed slowly away from her face, across her jaw and down her neck toward the v-shaped opening of her kimono and he let his hand lightly follow in its wake as he spied a few more tell-tale scratches there, "--and these as well," he murmured as the tips of his fingers grazed the exposed flesh watching in curiosity as her chest rapidly rose and fell in reaction to his touch.

In a purely defensive reaction Rin took on step back and put her hand to her chest, clenching the folds of her kimono tightly together as she struggled to catch her breath, a bewildered expression on her countenance.

In that moment, Sesshoumaru caught a glimpse of a child hiding in her eyes, and it struck a chord somewhere deep inside him, for it was the same child that he'd known all those years ago. But now he was seeing her from a much different perspective. This was a lonely child, a vulnerable child, and this child was waiting to be loved.

It hit him hard, and a strange hunger began to gnaw at him, a reflection of the emotions he felt when he took part in the Hunt and yet it was different at the same time; not as cold or as brutally savage as those feelings. As he stood there, he wasn't sure what to do with them. The only certainty at the moment was how troubled he was by the fact that he'd let himself be affected by a mortal– even if that mortal was one that had traveled with him and had walked faithfully by his side.

"Th - these marks are a result of a battle that took place here last night," Rin finally responded in a slightly wooden voice, her gaze roving towards the well. "There is a new Tama, and a man who possesses some of the Jewel's powers now…"

Rin went on and tried to relate the entire story to Sesshoumaru without leaving out any of the pertinent details. Sesshoumaru listened without interruption, not at all surprised to find out that it had been Atsuji, in the end, who had shed his own blood by invoking the youki of his Chigi-riki in order to save Rin.

At last Sesshoumaru thought he was beginning to comprehend Rin's attachment to the helpless fool – a hero who she was indebted to and yet in need of constant saving himself. With Rin's giving nature, it made perfect sense now; while at the same time it served as volatile ingredients for a perfectly dangerous relationship between the two...

After she finished her explanation, Rin paused and despite the absorbed expression on his face mustered up the courage to broach a subject she wanted settled before they returned to the village if at all possible. "Sesshoumaru-sama may I ask you something?"

There was a slight pause but then Sesshoumaru grunted his assent, not really paying attention as he stared off into the distance, lost in his thoughts concerning Rin and Atsuji before he became increasing preoccupied with trying to understand his own reaction to the entire situation. Her question, however, made him turn his head and look at her.

"Why were you fighting with Inuyasha?" she asked in concern.

"Because he failed to carry out his duties as your guardian." Came the simple reply. "And in doing so, he has failed me one too many times."

"-- But then you could also say that I failed to carry out my job as a miko," Rin quietly pointed out after a moment. "And I have failed you as well." Sesshoumaru-sama's brow soared at that, mystified by her illogical reasoning.

"I never expected you to be able to fully protect yourself, Rin," he replied somewhat dismissively, "you are, after all, only human."

Rin felt her cheeks redden at the slight sting of the unintended insult, but she doggedly went on. "Well, so was Inuyasha at the time, so how could you expect him to protect me?" She watched his expression harden at her words, and she hastily apologized, "I only meant that if I been stronger, then perhaps I could have broken the spell of the Ijin on my own."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Perhaps," was all he said and he turned and began walking away.

Rin assumed that their little chat here was over, so she followed him out of the clearing and back into the trees.

But she couldn't stop herself from querulously asking, "So, S-sseshoumaru-sama, could you p-please not blame Inuyasha anymore?" There was a lengthy silence, and Rin grimaced, timidly eyeing Sesshoumaru-sama's long, silver hair, thinking how it swayed like flowing silk when he walked. "What I m-mean, is perhaps you will not fight with him anymore because of me?"

Sesshoumaru's lips quirked into an wry smile at her awkward sounding request, while he continued walking forward without pause, but she couldn't see it since she was behind him, and there was no sign of it in his voice as he gave her the noncommittal response of another, "Perhaps."

They continued walking and after a few more minutes of prolonged silence, Rin sighed and murmured, "I suppose now that Atsuji's sister has found him, you will be returning home." Sesshoumaru could hear the regret in her guileless words, and felt an answering pang well up inside of his own breast and he scowled. "It was so very nice to see Sesshoumaru-sama and Jyaken-sama after so long, -- even if you didn't recognize me –"

Rin mumbled these last words half to herself, almost falling over when he suddenly stopped and rounded on her. She foundered into him then, her bow getting tangled in his empty left kimono sleeve, while her nose actually brushed the soft white fabric covering his chest. From the corner of her eye, the spikes on his shoulder armor loomed dangerously close to the side of her head. Instinctively she shrank away from them, trying to take a step to the side, and tripped over his boot.

She would have fallen had his arm not caught her and held her close against the soft, white fur pelt wound around the crook of his arm and up his shoulder. She made a slight noise of surprise as he settled her back to her feet, letting her find her balance before he moved his arm away and slowly stepped back.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, flustered, the feeling of his fingers still lingering pleasantly against her waist and she almost wished he hadn't let her go – a notion which sent her heart beating out of control. "I didn't mean to—" she mumbled in a muddled way.

"You're wrong," he spoke loudly, firmly cutting through her confusion.

"I'm, I'm wrong?" she echoed helplessly, wondering when exactly his eyes had lost their coldness. Now they were gazing at her, a strange glow in their depths.

"I recognized you," he murmured, his hand coming up to rest warmly against her neck. Again he used his thumb to tilt her chin higher. "I recognized you, just not with my eyes."

Slowly, he leaned forward, his eyes drooping half-closed and hers widened as his face came closer, angling towards her neck. Her heart was beating so hard now that she was sure he could hear it, a fluttering sensation expanding in the pit of her stomach as she felt his breath fan across her neck. Her mouth fell open in shock as she heard him inhale, the skin from his cheek and lips almost touching her throat as he moved towards her jaw and then across her cheek.

"I knew the minute I smelled your scent, who you were," he whispered, his breath brushing against her as he spoke, his mellifluous voice running through her head like some kind of arcane magic weaving an ancient spell. Again he breathed in, and Rin clenched her hand tightly at her side, feeling like she needed to take a deep shuddering breath herself, but she couldn't for her heart was beating too rapidly. "No matter how you might change on the outside, your scent will always be the same," he breathed softly.

With these words he let his hand slide from her throat, but he leaned just a fraction closer and deliberately let his lips brush against her cheek for a long moment, wanting his scent to mingle with hers before pulling away with a dissatisfied look on his face. He didn't say it aloud, but he could smell Atsuji's scent mixed together with hers. It lingered on her clothes, near her throat, and even on her face. It was a fact he found especially disturbing.

And when he'd been leaning down next to her, his face so close to her soft skin, he'd wanted to override the pup's scent with his everywhere he'd found it. Another fact he'd found equally disturbing. In the end, he'd been unable to stop himself from pressing his lips against her, to mark her, as if that one touch would make a difference. It had only been a brief, grazing contact, not enough to blot out Atsuji's scent. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it, other than the fact that her scent even when mixed with that of another youkai's was incredibly sweet and he'd been spurred on by the strange hunger gnawing at him.

Feeling disturbed by the whole incident, he pulled away and turned on his heel. He began walking again, his thoughts continuing to be centered on his turbulent emotions, Rin and disgustingly enough, on Atsuji who was most likely not going to go away given Rin's overprotective attachment to the fool.

Her eyes wide, a lost expression mirrored in their depths Rin mechanically trailed after Sesshoumaru-sama, feeling shaken, her body still unsettled from what he'd just done. Had he? Had he just kissed her? Her heart felt like it would explode through her chest and go tumbling to the ground, and her cheeks burned with heat. This was not at all like the reaction she'd had to the kisses she'd shared with Atsuji, but – had it even been a real kiss at all? she mused uncertainly.

Somehow she didn't think so. After all, he had the beautiful Mizuna, so why would he want to kiss someone as unsophisticated and inexperienced as her? With that lowering thought her heart settled back into its normal rhythm and her eyes slid away from his back. She peered out through the darkness of the trees as they passed them by and she sighed deeply, almost dismally.

Sesshoumaru, who had been caught up in his own thoughts, heard it and turned his head to direct a sharp look over his shoulder at her. His brows pulled together at her dejected expression. Immediately he pulled to a stop and began to wonder why she was suddenly so upset.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

The question was completely unexpected and she started in surprise. Her head jerked towards him and away from the dark forest to find him studying her intently with a forbidding frown

Immediately her expression cleared.

"N-nothing's the matter!" she replied, but she could see that this was the wrong answer for his frown deepened, and so she stammered, "I am just a little concerned about Atsuji – he was wounded and – and –" her voice trailed off and she inwardly cringed. This was not the correct answer either, for now he was positively scowling at her, and she'd wished that he'd never even asked her. But she'd already launched into her excuse, so now she had to finish it. "—he re-injured his back today – twice as a matter of fact, both times while trying to keep me safe, and I am certain it needs to be attended to… I'm hoping Inuyasha has mentioned it to Kaede-bachan, but knowing Inuyasha, that most likely hasn't happened."

"Then let us by all means hasten back to the village so you can take care of Atsuji …" Sesshoumaru-sama's words were solicitous, but his eyes were again cold, and Rin felt that she'd done or said something horribly wrong.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she murmured feeling a trifle miserable.

Sesshoumaru negligently waved away her thanks, feeling far from benevolent as he turned and again started walking. If he had his way, Atsuji would be sent back to his own clan where he could no longer pose a threat to Rin.

_Threat?_ that nasty little voice whispered again. _Just what kind of threat was he concerned with, for Atsuji was incapable of bodily harm to most everyone, save himself of course…_

Sesshoumaru scowled and tried to ignore the sly, taunting voice, but he knew he was going to have to answer for the emotions driving his actions concerning Rin sooner or later. Until then, however, he was fast concluding that the situation between Atsuji and Rin would require very close scrutiny in the future to ensure that their friendship remained just that: friendship and nothing more. It was a job he would most likely relegate to Jyaken. But the insignificant pup seemed to constantly be in Rin's thoughts – a sign that did not bode well at all, he reflected darkly, which meant that it might require his interference as well.

But no matter what, Sesshoumaru had every intention of keeping a very close eye on Gyousei's first born son. The Gyousei clan was known for their promiscuity, even though, as far as he knew Atsuji was the exception to the rule so far. Still, Rin was not a toy to be played with and Sesshoumaru had every intention of making sure that Atsuji knew exactly that.

**Yari** Spear

**Kemari** a ball game that is believe to have arrived in Japan from China during the Yamato era. It was a game popular with the court classes up through kamakura period after which time, the warrior classes also began indulging in the game. It's popularity decreased during the Meiji era and it is no longer played.

**Tansu** Storage Chest

172


	10. 10: His Name is Erisu

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**His Name Is Erisu**

Kagome learns the devastating truth about Inuyasha and the Kotodama beads then has a nasty encounter with the malevolent Forbidden Tama as she tries to help Shirogane purify its youki

Chapter Ten

"So is that everything?" Mama asked, hands on her hips, eyeing her daughter.

Kagome stood in the center of her room, her hair still slightly damp from her bath, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a dark blue sweater with small blue buttons that enhanced her peaches and cream complexion. She was surrounded by a plethora of various items she had yet to put in her backpack, all of which she was planning to take with her back through the well – a great deal of it was food for her friends whom she knew had developed an affinity for twenty first century cuisine from her prior visit ten years earlier. Her eyes moved methodically over her supplies as she tried to think of anything she might have forgotten.

"I think that's it, except the bike of course," she mused, her finger poised thoughtfully against her bottom lip.

"And you're sure?" Mama hesitated, wrapping her sweater more snugly around herself, "- you're absolutely certain giving up your job and returning to the Sengoku Jidai is what you want?"

She tried not to sound too anxious, but she gave her daughter a long, searching look while she waited for an answer.

Kagome's head pivoted slowly towards her mother and Mrs. Higurashi saw the shadows in her daughter's eyes even as Kagome offered her a tremulous smile.

"Certain?" Kagome could hear the tenuous note that clung to the word as she echoed it back to her mother and she clenched her fingers tightly together for a moment before lifting them to restlessly finger the button at her neckline. "To be truthful, there are a great many uncertainties in my life right now," she admitted honestly. "But there is one thing I do know without a doubt, Mama," she paused, and looked at her mother, her dark brown eyes never wavering as she met Mrs. Higurashi's eyes, "and that is how I feel about Inuyasha. There are still a lot of problems to be faced – many that haven't changed, and some… some are so new and complicated that I don't even know how to deal with them, or even, where to start looking for the answers to the questions…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes seeming to lose focus for a moment before she recalled what she was saying, " --but because of how I feel, I know that if there is any way for me to be a part of his life, if there is any way for me to claim his affection, then I have to do this. I have to try. Otherwise I will just spend the rest of my life looking back, regretting what might have been … and I don't want my life to be filled with 'if only's'…"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled in understanding at her daughter.

_To be in love and feel so lost._ Mrs. Higurashi moved to stand in front of her daughter, one hand resting comfortingly on Kagome's arm as she lifted the other to check the bandage she had reapplied to Kagome's head wound, the smile still tipping the corners of her mouth as she glanced affectionately at her eldest child. She knew that given time, her sweet daughter would find her way to happiness. She just wished she could shield Kagome's heart from the bumps and bruises that lay along that path. But this was all she could do; put a bandage on her boo boo and hold her hand until the sting went away. As a mother, it never seemed enough…

"Well you know, Jii-chan and I are here if you need us," Mama offered these words of encouragement in soft accents, and they settled around Kagome's heart, soft and warm, helping to lighten her flagging spirits.

Kagome wrapped her arms around her mother.

"Thank you, Mama." Her voice came out a little unevenly, and she convulsively swallowed the lump of emotions that rose in her throat. "You know, even though I've already prepared my resignation letter for the firm," she added, striving to lighten her tone, "When I last saw Jii-chan downstairs, he was gleefully thinking up illnesses to ward off any overly curious workmates. He's even come up with a list of clinics outside the country that specialize in my new ailments! I just hope he doesn't accidentally give me something incurable!"

Mama's eyes widened and then her countenance crumpled into comical dismay as they both shared a moment of laughter which was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Shirogane and as he entered, his eyes were immediately drawn to the huge pile of supplies littering the floor.

"You're taking all of this?" He asked, his mouth slightly agape.

"Yes," Kagome replied, a note of irony in her voice, realizing that from his point of view there was a great deal of nonessential items that she'd included. "The food is for everyone – Sango, Rin, Shippou and Inuyasha -- and you and Yukino are welcome to it, of course, if you want it. You won't need to bring any medical supplies –" Kagome made a broad sweeping gesture, "—I think I have enough for everyone. All you'll need is clothes for you and your sister and anything else you feel is necessary that you don't see here."

Shirogane's gaze continued to roam about as Kagome spoke until she saw his eyes light on a small pile of objects just to the right of her. He strolled over and picked one up, directing a look of inquiry at her as he did so.

"Instant ramen noodles?" His silken brow shot up as he glanced at the small mountain of containers from where he'd plucked it. "I didn't realize you were such a junk food addict, Kagome," he observed in a slightly teasing manner.

Kagome had the grace to blush as she removed the container from his fingers.

"It's not for me," she mumbled a trifle sheepishly as she placed it back on the pile, "it's for Inuyasha – it's his favorite, and I thought because it's been such a long time since he's had any, I would make sure I took plenty with me to last him for a while…"

"Ah, I see." Shirogane's smile took on a wry twist. "So Inuyasha is a closet junk food addict. That would explain why he's so cranky – all those simple sugars running rampant in his system."

Shirogane made a vague gesture towards the ramen cups. The wry smile was still firmly entrenched upon his countenance and Kagome eyed it uncertainly, unable to tell if he was teasing her or just mocking Inuyasha. She got the feeling that Inuyasha didn't care too much for Shirogane, but she couldn't tell how Shirogane truly felt about Inuyasha. He kept his feelings well shielded from prying eyes.

"I'm glad to see that Jii-chan's hakama fit you tolerably well, Suketsune-sama," Mrs. Higurashi remarked, steering the conversation into a more neutral channel and putting an end to the small exchange between her daughter and this priest who so favored the man who held her daughter's affections.

Seeming to suddenly remember that they were not alone, Shirogane recalled his manners and he turned and swept into his most polite bow.

"Thank you so much for the use of your ofuro, Higurashi-san."

For the first time since he entered the room, Kagome really looked closely at him and experienced a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. _So this is what Inuyasha might look like as a priest_, came the errant thought. Dressed in a white kimono and blue hakama with his silver braid trailing down his back and those golden eyes that were identical to Inuyasha's, Kagome couldn't help but wonder what he would like with his hair unbound; if the resemblance would be even more striking. Then when he caught her staring at him, the corners of his mouth flipped up, as if he knew what she'd been thinking, and she hurriedly looked away, and firmly told herself that she didn't care what he looked like with his hair unbound.

Besides, no matter how much he might look like Inuyasha, he wasn't –

_But a descendant – well now, that's a different story altogether…_a little voice whispered.

Shirogane paused and looked at his watch, "Hmm," he mused, "it's dark already. It's going to be extremely late when we get back unless I can cut some time off my packing."

He slid Kagome a speculative glance, and a look similar to one she'd seen on Inuyasha's face from time to time flitted across his countenance. The suspicion that she was about to be manipulated into something began to slither along her spine. It was confirmed when, within the span of fifteen minutes, Kagome found herself sitting next to Shirogane in his car on the way to the Suketsune Shrine, feeling slightly ill at ease and anxious at the same time –

She cast a nervous glance over at him as she buckled her seat belt, wondering why she was here. He'd said that she could help him pack his sister's thing and he would get done quicker that way, but that felt like an excuse. Kagome waited while the car's engine purred to life and he tilted his head, momentarily pausing, twisting the earring in his ear as if lost in thought. Then his eyes slid to her and he offered her a smile

But there was something in the way his gaze lingered that only solidified her belief that he wanted something from her. Kagome hurriedly looked away, trying not to think too deeply about it, telling herself that now would be an opportune time to ask him about the Kotodama beads.

"It was very kind of your mother to offer to finish packing your things so you could come and help me," Shirogane murmured as they left her family's shrine complex. "-- Just as she offered me the use of your ofuro. I feel much more energized – more so than had I waited to get cleaned up at home."

Kagome agreed with a smile that felt slightly forced at the corners, "Mama has always been that way. She is constantly thinking of others."

And thanks to Mama's charity Kagome had been unable to refuse Shirogane's offer to return to his Shrine.

"Don't worry about your supplies." Mama had waved away all of Kagome's protests with a smile, "I'll have it all packed up and ready for you by the time you get back."

So despite Kagome's misgivings about Shirogane's true motivations, here she was all buckled up and ready to go. But really, she silently reiterated, this was to her advantage too. After all, she wanted to find out more about the connection between Shirogane and Inuyasha, for she was sure it existed – why else would he have Inuyasha's kotodama beads? And what better place to start looking for answers than here?

But for some reason, the more she tried to find a way to phrase a question without sounding too forward, the more her anxiety seemed to increase. It was almost as if she knew he had the answers and she didn't want to hear them… but that couldn't be right, could it? She did want to know!

Didn't she?...

Trying to brush the feeling off, she turned and concentrated on what Shirogane was saying as he broke the silence stretching between them.

"I really do appreciate this, Kagome," he murmured keeping his eyes straightforward as he zipped down the expressway. "I'm sure there are quite a few things as a brother and a man I would forget that my sister needs. Having you there will ensure that they get packed."

Kagome flicked a quick look up at his dim profile. It remained inscrutable despite the short bursts of illumination from the street lamps as they made their way past Akasaka Palace in the direction of the Meiji Jinja.

"It's the least I could do, really," She replied, rubbing her palms slowly along her slacks, feeling some of her tension ease in the face of Shirogane's relaxed demeanor. "I somehow feel if it weren't for me, Yukino would have come with you, and then she could have packed her own things," she confessed lightly, adding a trifle apologetically, "I don't think she likes me very much, although I'm not sure what it is that I did that made her distrust me so."

Shirogane frowned heavily, but his expression cleared almost immediately, as if he were trying to hide the negative reaction from Kagome.

The only trace left was a faint tightening of his jaw as he attempted to reassure her, "Her refusal was not your fault. That was my fault entirely. My sister is…" Shirogane paused a hair's breath before finishing, "we had a quarrel before I left for last night's dinner meeting, so she is upset with me at the moment."

Kagome gaped slightly at that, finding such a thing hard to believe. "Working alongside your sister with the blueprints, I've always gotten the impression that she has a deep and abiding regard for you, Shirogane," Kagome murmured.

"Is that so?" he murmured noncommittally.

Kagome nodded adding, "Yes, she respects you a great deal. In fact, knowing just how much she thinks of you, I find it hard to believe that she could stay mad at you for any length of time -- even if you two did have a terrible quarrel. She just doesn't seem like the kind of person to hold a grudge –" or rather, Kagome silently amended, when it came to other people _besides_ Kagome, herself. "Are you sure it's not me? She didn't seem to be upset with you yesterday at the well." Kagome pointed out uncertainly.

"I'm positive it's not you, trust me. She can be quite pigheaded when she wants to be" came his wry reply as he turned his head and directed a polite smile down at her. "As to why she's upset – well – that's a … family…matter… I would rather not discuss it. I'm sure you understand…"

"Of course," Kagome nodded, her eyes drawn to the way he was suddenly gripping the steering wheel. Whatever had happened between he and his sister must have really bothered him, she mused as she lapsed into silence, feeling uncomfortable for having brought it up.

Shirogane could feel Kagome's gaze on him and he made himself relax, secretly thankful that she was unaware of how close he'd come to choking on the word "family'. No one in their right minds would refer to what had occurred between him and Yukino the previous night as a "family matter". Which just proved hat he hadn't been in his right mind.

And Shirogane's attempts to get his sister alone so that he might talk to her about it, to apologize or even explain that he'd been highly intoxicated and hadn't truly known what he'd been doing had been frustrated completely. She'd managed to sneak out at sunrise, long before he'd awoken that morning, and by the time she'd returned to the village with Inuyasha, Kikyou had arrived.

The issue of the Kotodama beads had taken precedence after that, and trying to explain away their presence to everyone had wasted a great deal of time. By then, the afternoon had slipped into early evening, and Shirogane knew that if he was going to return home for supplies before the sun slipped over the horizon completely, the conversation with Yukino was going to have to wait even longer – at that point the only option left was to try and talk to her once they'd reached the Suketsune Shrine.

But even that opportunity was to be thwarted when Yukino had stiltedly informed him that she wouldn't be going home with him and Kagome. She'd turned away from him, her shoulders sagging as if strained under a heavy weight, refusing to meet his gaze. Shirogane's insides had twisted in guilt at the sight, thinking that she was avoiding him, distressed from what he'd done to her, hazily remembering how she'd begged him to stop the night before.

_What if she was afraid to be near him now? Afraid for him to touch her? To even offer her a comforting embrace whenever she seemed uncertain or unhappy? _It was a painful thought. He couldn't imagine being closed off from her completely. Ever.

Absently he eyed the broken white lines along the expressway. They reminded him of the invisible line he'd severed between what was acceptable and what was taboo. It could never be repaired, that line.

_If he apologized, would it be enough to regain her trust?_

God, he hoped so, for that was all he could do was apologize and swear to her that he would never overstep that line again, as broken as it now was. He just prayed that she could forgive him for scarring their relationship. And even if she did forgive him, it didn't change the fact that she would still have to live with the memory of what he'd done; an ugly scar forever marring the harmony of their relationship.

And for that, he could never forgive himself.

But the consequences of last night's travesty were more far reaching, affecting more than just his relationship with his sister. He hadn't realized just how far until he was halfway to the Bone Eater's Well with Kagome. That was when he first sensed something was amiss, when he began to try and pull away from the dark, brooding thoughts surrounding the situation with his sister. It was then that he'd looked at Kagome and realized with a jolt that the burning fascination he'd held for her for so long, the one that had made him yearn to get closer to her, had somehow fizzled out. Not only that, but he'd also discovered he was sadly lacking any real motivation to try and pursue an intimate relationship with her.

It had absolutely stunned him at first, for his view of her as a person hadn't changed. He still thought of her as an extremely interesting and very beautiful woman. So he wasn't sure why he could still view her that way and not want the same thing as before. He'd wanted to attribute the sudden change to the fact that he sensed her heart was in conflict, or perhaps seemingly already engaged; and thus he subconsciously didn't want to push her.

But he couldn't deny the real truth when a sly voice had spoken up in the back of his head saying, _It's because you've tasted a sweeter fruit; one that has long lain behind a forbidden line._

He knew the real reason then, the most dangerous reason of all; the reason why he must try to reignite his interest in the raven haired woman now sitting at his side at all costs.

It all came back to Yukino, he thought bitterly, and his unnatural lust for her. Suddenly without warning, Shirogane remembered the taste of Yukino's lips and he felt his body tighten involuntarily in response. He mentally swore at his lack of resolve. Hadn't he just been telling himself that he would make sure that he would never touch her that way again?

But already he was craving the feel of her, wanting another taste of the forbidden…

_Last night was a lie,_ he told himself harshly, _brought on by the intoxication of a drug_. I _won't feel this way when I see her again tonight._

Taking a deep breath he resolutely banished the image, but his body was more stubborn to heed his words and the fire in his veins was slow to ebb. It made him wonder if he'd been near the Kinmotsu no Tama too long, its youki having somehow warped his mind. If only the answer could be that simple, he mused grimly, then, maybe he would find comfort in it.

But he should not be thinking about his sister at all, he silently castigated. He should be concentrating on Kagome – isn't that why he'd invited her to his home? So he could try gain back his lost footing, find out more about her, and even answer some of the questions he knew that she'd been wanting to ask – he'd seen her skittishly eyeing the pocket he carried the kotodama beads in all the way through the forest, and he knew that she couldn't get them out of her head.

She wanted to know more about the blood link that lay between him and Inuyasha. But Shirogane wondered if she was ready to hear the truth, for there was only so much he could tell her. Exposing her to only the parts of the past that were necessary – would it destroy her relationship with the hanyou or would it give her the strength she needed to go on?

He didn't want to be the one to influence their relationship one way or another. But she had a right to know, considering all that she'd done to help him and his sister. And too, there was the idea to consider that if she ever did give up on Inuyasha, and things _were_ to go his way, then ultimately she would need to know the truth about Shirogane and his Shrine's past.

As he left the expressway he threw a surreptitious glance at Kagome who seemed lost in her own thoughts, her face a reflection of troubled musings.

This entire trip he'd let his guilty conscience consume him and he'd wasted a perfect opportunity to engage her in conversation and he felt a wave of frustration hit him as he gazed at her.

_Why? Why couldn't he feel any attraction for this vivacious woman?_

He refused to believe that after one night with Yukino, his infatuation for Kagome could be broken so easily! Perhaps if it had been an attachment that he'd only just recently formed, then he could see it dying a quick and harsh death, but he'd been enchanted with this woman ever since he'd first read about her in the Shrine scrolls when he was but a boy.

What had started as an avid curiosity as a child had grown to something more by the time he reached University – mostly because he'd attended the same school as she, and was able to watch her from the shadows, seeing in her all the things he'd read about, admiring her from afar. So it made no sense to him that feelings he'd spent his entire lifetime cultivating, waiting for a chance to watch bloom into something more promising would just suddenly whither away completely.

Even when he'd thought he'd never get a chance to meet her because of his family's persistent negative view of her, despite how heroically the Shrine scrolls painted her – he'd horded away his feelings for her like precious jewels. Ultimately it had been their disapproval that had kept him from approaching her at University. He couldn't see bringing her home to introduce her to his parents, when he knew they would only feel that he was "showing dishonor to the woman who had brought life to the Suketsune line" as Yukino had so articulately put it. So eventually he just let the dreams of meeting her fade, holding them like cherished memories.

But after his parents had passed away, and he was faced with the prospect of raising a younger sister, all that changed. He couldn't say that it was with a joyful heart that he first thought of pursuing Kagome; for it had been Yukino's struggles with the Kinmotsu no Tama that had first prompted him to consider it.

Watching his little sister who had once been so buoyant become weighted down with dread and forced to perform a ceremony that wracked her slender body with spasms of terror had been torture in itself for him. As the weeks passed it became obvious that little by little, with each Purification Ceremony, the Kinmotsu no Tama was chipping away at her soul. It was draining the very life from her, the Tama was. He could see it in her eyes; where there should be laughter and hope, Shirogane was beginning to see shadows of only despair, and he vowed he would die before he let the darkness engulf her completely like it had his own mother.

At that point, he'd known he needed someone strong to help them, and that was when he began once again to focus on the one woman who had fascinated him for so long.

Kagome Higurashi.

There were no other miko stronger than her and thus the plans for the renovation of the Shrine had been born.

In retrospect, it had been unfair to Kagome, really. Shirogane knew that his face was almost identical to Inuyasha's. He'd thought it would play to his advantage, to a certain degree, to remind her of someone she'd been fond of. He hadn't expected her to still have feelings for the dog-eared gasbag, since according to the accounts in their Shrine archives, Kagome had been the one to make the break in the relationship.

But yesterday, from the first moment when she'd turned around and seen him, she'd looked as if she'd seen a ghost. And inwardly, Shirogane had known things were not going to go smoothly with her. Of course, now with Inuyasha directly involved, things could only get worse, and considering his own feelings for Kagome were foundering, he didn't see how it was going to possibly work out at all according to his plan– and then, he grimaced, there was that ridiculous promise he'd made to his sister for not pursuing Kagome if he couldn't fall in love with her.

It was something he should never have done, but he'd done it nonetheless, helped along, do doubt by the influence of Rin's mind altering tea. In retrospect, he realized that whether he was in love with Kagome or not, he and his sister desperately needed her abilities. Kagome was the only miko that might be capable of handling the Kinmotsu no Tama without eventually succumbing to its youki. Which is why he should at least make an attempt to rekindle his interest in her, he told himself, glancing over at her as he turned down the street and headed towards his Shrine.

Maybe while in doing so, he could lay to rest the illusion his brain had cultivated and his body had since perpetuated that he desired his sister.

But no matter what the outcome, whether he managed to rekindle his waning interest or not, tonight at least, Shirogane would try to put to rest some of Kagome's doubts about the past. It was the least he could do to thank her for saving Yukino, for had it not been for her, Lokki would have escaped with Yuki through the well and he might never have seen his sister again.

That thought made his stomach tighten in knots as he parked his car at the bottom of the shrine steps.

"Welcome to my home, Kagome." Shirogane's voice fell softly into the sudden stillness as they sat unmoving for several short seconds.

Kagome didn't seem to know what to say for a moment, her head turned away from him, as she peered out her window. She'd been here before, of course; many times when she'd been working on the Shrine renovation project. But this time felt different. Perhaps it was because she was with Shirogane and it was a completely personal visit. Somehow thinking that made her feel strange, and heightened her nervousness. Aware that she'd yet to acknowledge his graciousness, Kagome made herself tilt her head to look at him.

"Th-thank you," she murmured with a slightly anxious smile.

"We'll try to make it as quick as possible," he promised, as he climbed out of the car and opened her door for her.

Together they slowly climbed the stairs to the shrine, stopping every now and then for Shirogane to stretch his stiff, sore leg. Another uncomfortable silence settled between them similar to the one in the car, but Kagome was afraid to say anything, Shirogane's mood extremely introspective and pensive.

He was the one to break it however, seeming to come out of his reverie as they reached the top of the landing when he murmured, "Do you mind if we stop by the Shrine Sanctuary first? I know it will put us a little later than we planned, but it is in a shambles and it seems sacrilege to leave it that way."

"Of course we can't leave it that way," Kagome stoutly agreed as they began walking in the direction of the house, her support drawing an unexpected smile from him.

The smile was short lived however as they heard the sound of several voices, all male coming towards them. It was followed by a burst of low laughter. Shirogane narrowed his eyes and looked towards the Shrine. He could just make out a group of four slender figures that had exited from the main building.

"What the?... my Sanctuary is _not_ the local noodle shop," he grumbled through gritted teeth. And then when he realized that the silhouetted figures were headed directly towards them, he grabbed Kagome by the arm and shoved her towards the side of the house, stepping in front of her and pressing her into the shadows with his body, praying that the boys would be unable to see them as they passed.

As the group shuffled passed, snippets of their conversation drifted to Shirogane, and he realized that they were part of Lokki's gang. Again he swore softly and Kagome looked up at him.

"What is it?" she whispered anxiously, only to have his hand clamp down over her mouth as one of the youths turned his head in their direction.

"Hey guys, did you hear something?" He paused, peering into the darkness while the others kept walking, and Kagome held her breath.

"Nah, this place is deserted – ain't no one here," another drawled, looking over his shoulder. "C'mon, we need to find Lokki and find out what the hell's going on. 'Still can't believe what Hiroya said, but from the looks of this place, it seems like Lokki really _did_ attack him."

After a second longer spent staring in their direction, the lagging boy caught up with the others, and the moment of danger passed. Kagome slumped weakly against Shirogane and he rested his forearms against the wall on either side of her head. Each of them took a moment to recover their composure.

"That was close," Kagome breathed.

"Much closer than I would care to admit," Shirogane agreed.

"What were they doing here?" Kagome wondered aloud.

"Most likely trying to find the trail of their missing friend," Shirogane idly ventured.

_Re-ignite the missing spark. Kiss her. _

He didn't know where the thought came from, and he didn't particularly feel inclined to follow through, but he found himself automatically pushing away from the wall, his hands reaching for her face. She was completely caught off guard by his actions and he heard her indrawn breath as he tipped her chip up, and saw the surprise in her eyes.

"S-stop!" she whispered in a shocked voice, her breath actually moving across his lips, so close was he to actually kissing her.

"Just once," he cajoled, his eyes still half-open, trying to read the expression in her wide brown ones despite the darkness.

Still feeling no stir of desire inside his heart, he was suddenly desperate for this to happen, knowing he needed it for more than one reason, the image of his sister standing out strongly in his mind. _If he could just find that spark that he'd lost … perhaps all it would take was one kiss…_

"P-please, Shirogane," Kagome whispered, her breathing becoming uneven.

"Why not?" he asked, silently adding, _I need this, Kagome, desperately._

He was affecting her; he could see that if he pushed her, she would give in. Just press her a little more, and his lips would be touching hers. _Do it,_ a voice urged in the back of his head, but still he hesitated, waiting for a sign from her. It came in the form of her voice and it was almost lost in the silence so quiet was the sound. But with it, he released her, finally understanding her reaction to him

"Please, I can't… -- Inuyasha..."

"I see," he replied calmly with a resolved smile. He raised a hand and patted her shoulder when he saw her troubled expression. "I may not be Inuyasha," he murmured with a look of understanding, "but I come a close second, don't I?"

"I – I'm sorry," she mumbled as he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, carefully leading her around the side of the house and back along the path to the Shrine.

"No need to be sorry, Kagome" he told her ruefully, "Just because I look so much like Inuyasha that you get a little breathless -- It's not your fault that I misinterpreted your reaction to me…nor is it your fault that you didn't want to kiss me," he said matter of factly. He paused before the open door of the Shrine, staring unseeingly at it as he murmured, "I should have realized that I am no match for Inuyasha, even after all this time."

Kagome gazed in consternation at Shirogane as he cautiously peered inside, making sure that none of the young gang members were still lingering about. She didn't know what to say to him, not quite understanding his words. She'd found herself drawn to him when his body had been so close to hers, but she was wise enough to know that it was because he looked so much like the man that truly held her heart.

Understanding her attraction had been easy but understanding why he would be attracted to her was not. _Even after all this time…_ What had he meant by that?

"Why did you want to kiss me?" She asked in a halting voice when Shirogane motioned for her to follow him into the Shrine.

He hesitated for a moment before he answered and as she crossed the threshold, he turned his back to her and began moving forward, limping awkwardly along towards the back of the building and the altar where there was another door that also stood ajar.

"You could say that it was a completely spontaneous event," he replied lightly without looking at her. But as he reached the other door he paused and shot a brief glance at her over his shoulder. "But to say that was the only reason would be a lie. I must admit that it's been a certain..._ goal_ of mine for quite some time to get closer to you. But it was unfair of me to try and take advantage of the situation like that, so I must apologize." Kagome was surprised by his admission still not understanding him as he swiveled back around and inclined his head forward. "Let me attend to this mess first and then I will take you to the house. There is something there I want to show you that may make things much clearer for you."

Together they worked to clean the disarray inside the Shrine, and once they were finished they headed back the way they came. Once inside the two-story home, Shirogane switched on the lights and Kagome bent down to remove her shoes before straightening to look around her. They were standing in the foyer and to her left was the doorway for a moderate sized living room.

This seemed to be Shirogane's destination and it was a mixture of contemporary and classical Japanese living. Everything here was well cared for and kept tidy but yet had that air of being lived in. Scattered on the zataku centered in the middle of the room were a few books, and draped over the arm of the overstuffed sofa ready to be used at a moment's notice was a soft colorful throw blanket.

Across the room and against the wall, there was an antique cha-dansu atop which perched an ornately decorative screen called a ko-byobu. It was placed adjacent to the sofa and behind the armchair which were both set around the zataku. Tucked away, all the way to the left, in one discreet corner of the room was the butsudan and to the right, in the opposite corner was a broad desk next to which a giant bookcase spanned the entire wall from floor to ceiling. It was filled with old books, fubako, bunko and some scrolls without a bunko or fubako which where housed in protective glass cases instead. These scrolls were so old and yellowed that they looked as if they might fall apart if unrolled.

A few other scrolls and their fubako had been taken from the bookshelf and placed on the desk. Several had been removed from their fubako and unrolled as if they were being studied. These were less yellowed than the ones behind glass, bearing brownish water spots in a few places here and there; and while they appeared to be quite old as well, they were, for the most part, in excellent condition. They sat next to a thick pad of paper littered with notes; a silver pen lying discarded across their top.

_The scholar's corner_. That was the thought that immediately struck Kagome.

All in all it was a very comfortable room, a place where one would naturally feel at ease, Kagome reflected as Shirogane slowly limped towards "the scholar's corner" and the desk, motioning for Kagome to follow him. Kagome's eyes continued to move about the room until she reached Shirogane's side and then she glanced up at the wall and noticed that his 'Master's Degree of Science and History of Religion' was hanging there next to the desk.

_Scholar indeed_, she reflected respectfully as a jolt of surprise shot through her.

"University of Tokyo," she murmured, her eyes widening as she noted the years and she swiveled towards him. "You and I attended University together," she breathed.

"Yes, I know," he replied with a faint smile, "I saw you many times. I knew who you were even then. I wish I could have made my presence known to you, but I was not at liberty to do so at the time."

Kagome's eyes darkened in confusion, "I don't understand."

Shirogane looked away from her, down towards the desk at the top scroll and he idly picked it up. Absently he began to roll it between his long, elegant fingers as he remarked, "You wanted to know why I tried to kiss you. Perhaps the answer lies in knowing why you returned home from the Sengoku Jidai."

Kagome looked startled. "What do you mean?" she asked faintly. _What could he possibly know about that?_

"When you came back ten years ago, Kagome, in your heart, weren't you looking for someone who would believe in you?"

His voice was soft, almost hypnotic, and she found she was unable to look away from him, her heart twisting in her chest. What he was saying was true, and yet, it was wrong. Back then he would've been right, but now, he was wrong.

"Inuyasha had hurt you by refusing to abandon his past," he continued softly but in a ruthless way. "And in doing so, he acknowledged the fact that he was giving up any future he could have with you. In essence, Kagome, he refused to believe in a future with you. So you left him. I know it was a hard step to take. And it must have hurt terribly knowing that once you came through that well, there was no going back, knowing that he would never follow you, never come through to get you..."

His voice was gentle yet his words sliced Kagome's heart to ribbons. She looked away from Shirogane, feeling color steal into her cheeks, a resentment beginning to burn in the middle of her chest. "You're wrong! That's not the way it was at all!" she denied heatedly.

A moment of silence stretched between them, weighing the lie she'd uttered, letting it settle uncomfortably like a heavy mantle on her shoulders before he spoke again.

"No?" he murmured, his tone slightly challenging. "Did you truly believe he was going to come for you, then?" Again silence stretched between them, a grim confirmation of what he already knew to be true. "I didn't think so," he muttered darkly as he placed the scroll in his hand back into its container and carefully placed it back on the desk. Then his eyes swung back to Kagome, somber and brooding. "If things had been different," he continued in his soft ruthless way, "just a few short years ago, when we attended college together, if I could have, I would have showered my attention upon you, and little by little I would have stolen your heart from him … Perhaps then, I could have erased the damage he's done through his neglect, made you see the worth in yourself that he was a fool to turn away from. I would have shown you that I, unlike Inuyasha, I could believe in a future with you Kagome --

Kagome's brows drew together at that, and her gaze swung back to him, angry and slightly defiant now. "Stop it!" she cried, waving her fist at him. "Stop talking like you know me!"

"But I do know you!" he retorted quietly, his amber eyes boring into hers and he took a limping step closer to her, "better than you think! I know that you're not over him, and that no matter how many times I tried to kiss you now, it won't make a hell of a difference!" Humiliated color flared into Kagome's face and she looked away from him, but he raised his hand, his fingers tilting her chin back towards him as his eyes raked over her. "I might have been able to steal you away then, but I don't think I stand a chance against him now, isn't that so, Kagome?"

Kagome felt her knees begin to tremble.

How could he know so much about her life when he'd only met her just last night?

"How can you know that! Who _are_ you?" she demanded in a voice throbbing with emotion and watched in surprise the look of satisfaction that glimmered in his eyes. It was as if he'd been goading her, waiting for her to ask that question.

His fingers released her and he turned, reaching a long arm up to the top of the bookshelf to pull down one of the fubako and place it on the desk. Opening it, he carefully removed the scroll, and unrolled it before handing it to Kagome. There on the page amid ancient scrawled text staring at her was an image of a young child, a toddler with dog-ears and a playful smile that resembled Inuyasha. The name _Erisu_ was written in small, careful kana beneath his image, and further down the scroll amidst more crowded text another image appeared; this one achingly familiar to her eyes.

He stared broodingly up at her from the weathered page with a somber frown. She didn't need to see the kana for this one, for it was unmistakably Inuyasha – an older, more mature Inuyasha different than the one of ten years ago, but very similar to how he appeared now.

The connection between these two images, the boy and Inuyasha; it sheared away the ambiguity and doubt that had lingered in her mind so that only the stark truth remained. All at once it felt as if the air had been pulled from the room and there was none left to draw into her lungs.

"This child is… Inuyasha's?" A mere thread of a sound, her voice barely disturbed the stillness of the room. Suddenly feeling lightheaded Kagome struggled to breathe.

Shirogane hesitated as if he was carefully considering her words, something she couldn't comprehend, for it had been a direct question that required only a 'yes' or 'no'. Finally he responded.

His answer was soft, but definite. "Yes."

"And, this scroll," she paused trying to piece it together in her shattered thoughts. "--You have it because this child is also related to you?"

"Yes," Again another simple affirmation as her world continued to disintegrate around her.

"So, you are…related to Inuyasha then." It wasn't a question, and she had difficulty pushing the words past her stiff lips.

"Yes, I am related to Inuyasha," he confessed, his eyes unwavering as he gazed at her, and after only the smallest of pauses he continued, "Erisu, the young boy on this scroll, is my ancestor, and Inuyasha --" again he paused, as if he was weighing his words, trying to choose them carefully, "-- Erisu belongs to Inuyasha."

The scroll was shaking between Kagome's fingers now, so she pushed it back towards him, her face a mask of frozen despair as she turned away from him. "When?" she broke off and took a deep breath, striving to add strength to the paltry sound rasping from her throat before continuing, "When did--? When was the child born?"

"I do not know the answer to that," Shirogane conceded as he turned and placed the scroll back in its fubako.

"And his mother?" Kagome asked hollowly, finally turning back, her eyes full of torment, "Inuyasha's lover. You know her identity as well?"

Kagome waited and Shirogane stared deeply into her eyes, as if he were torn, silently considering what he should reveal to her.

Finally he shook his head and said gently, "That is another question I do not know the answer to –"

An unacceptable answer from where Kagome stood and she shook her head vehemently, her eyes flashing now.

"You're lying!" she accused brokenly, "you're trying to protect him!"

"Why would I want to protect him?" he gesticulated in exacerbation, "when he's thrown away every chance to be with you, chances that I used to dream about?"

"Then you're trying to protect me!" she exclaimed, suppressed tears beginning to shimmer in her dark eyes, "All of these scrolls!" she gestured with a sweep of her hand, "you _must_ know who his lover is! Why won't you tell me! How can I fight for him if you won't tell me?"

"I swear I don't know!" he insisted, raking frustrated fingers through long tendrils of hair falling across his brow. "The scrolls never mention the names of any of Inuyasha's lovers. They only speak of you and Kikyou as the women in Inuyasha's life."

Shirogane watched as Kagome covered her face with her hands, utterly distraught, and he moved towards her, his arms going around her, holding her much the same way he used to hold his sister on the days when she was having difficulty coping with the loss of her mother.

"Kagome -- the boy," he paused, gritting his teeth and he momentarily clenched his eyes shut. He knew he should stop right now, but he seemed incapable of keeping the words to himself because of her terrible suffering. "The boy's birth was… different… it was… special. Erisu is not an ordinary child."

Kagome seemed to become less agitated at his words, and she raised her eyes pleading to know more. But he shook his head, his jaw now firm. Telling her any more would be extremely dangerous.

"Do not look at me like that," he chided in frustration, "for I have said far too much as it is. You know his name, which is more than you should, and you must not tell anyone about him – not even Inuyasha."

Kagome gave Shirogane a surprised look at that.

"Surely he knows?..." she began faintly but Shirogane was shaking his head grimly.

"He doesn't know about Erisu at all. No one does. -- As I said Erisu's birth was… special and it is a well guarded secret." Shirogane paused and fixed her with a stern, eye before saying in his most heartening voice, " – so now I say to you, knowing all that I do, Kagome; my advice to you is: if you truly love Inuyasha, don't stop fighting for him."

He gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze while inwardly grimacing. He couldn't believe he was encouraging her when in all respects he should be doing everything in his power to seduce her away. It was the failed kiss, he thought dully. He hadn't felt disappointed at all when she'd turned him down. – it was like he'd been trying to steal a kiss from his sister – wait, strike that, he amended with a wry twist to his lips. It left him feeling like he was _supposed _to feel if he'd been trying to steal akiss from his sister, not how he'd _actually_ felt when it happened – not that those emotions had been real either, he sharply reminded himself.

But still, if he could have mustered the desire for Kagome to match the desire that he'd felt when he'd been intoxicated and kissed Yukino, then he probably wouldn't be standing here, encouraging her to keep fighting for Inuyasha. Instead, he would be trying to find a way to get past Kagome's defenses starting with a kiss and ending with peeling her clothes off somewhere upstairs for a more intimate encounter. Under the current circumstances though, he didn't see anything like that happening, barring a miracle.

Unexpectedly an image of Yukino assaulted him, supplanting Kagome's as the two women overlapped in his mind. Vivid and potent, she filled his head, her body twisting and writhing beneath him in his bed, and fire began to slither through his veins.

_That wasn't exactly the kind of miracle he'd had in mind…_he thought in aggravation. Never in his life had he substituted the image of one woman for another just to satisfy his physical desires and he wasn't about to start now. Besides, thinking of Yukino while with Kagome would get him nowhere, since Kagome had no interest in him unless he planned to force himself on her, which he would never do.

Abruptly Shirogane let go of Kagome, and swung away from her to limp towards the middle of the room, the scroll still in his hand while he tried to suppress his frustration and cool the insidious heat simmering inside him.

"With everything that's happened, it's hard to believe that just yesterday you were helping me with the plans to my Shrine."

It was impossible to keep the note of irony out of his voice as he made a sweeping gesture towards the door and it didn't go unnoticed.

"You… you planned this, didn't you?" Kagome said suddenly as the realization hit her.

His eyes pivoted towards her, a watchful expression on his face as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

"You were trying to find a way to meet me…"

That same small, mysterious smile she'd seen the first time she met him hovered about his lips. "Yes."

"All of this planning…just to meet me?" she breathed in shock, her mouth slightly agape, "-- but why?"

She watched as he reached down into the small pouch at the waist of his hakama and pulled out Inuyasha's kotodama beads.

"Because I needed your help with this." His voice took on a bitter edge. "You're a strong miko – I've read about you and followed your progress since I was just a kid. I was sure that if anyone could help Yukino and I keep this Tama pure, it would be you."

Kagome felt a little strange, knowing that there had always been someone watching her, taking notes on what she did. But she supposed in a way, it was comforting too, knowing that it had been Inuyasha's descendant for she felt certain, that if she'd ever been in trouble, he would have been sure to come out of the shadows and lend a hand.

"Keep your Tama pure? But I'm not a miko!" Kagome protested as she slowly moved towards him, her eyes alternating between his face and the beads.

"You are," he disagreed, looking down into her face as she reached his side, "In your heart you are. You're one of the greatest miko that our country has ever had, even if your name has been lost to history, obscured through time of war and change. Before we fell through the well, I had hoped to bring you here as my bride and the permanent miko of our shrine --" At his rueful admission her incredulous gaze shot to his face and he watched the blood rush to her head like he knew it would. He offered her a sheepish grin then and said lightly, "But now I know that's not likely to happen with the way things stand."

His grin faded when he saw a troubled look slide over her countenance as her gaze slipped away from him, and she shifted restlessly. Moving thoughtfully away from her, he approached the desk and placed the scroll in its fubako before returning it to the bookcase, saying casually over his shoulder, "Your friendship is all I ask for now -- but still – I can't help wondering, if we had not fallen through the well, and your reunion with Inuyasha had never taken place…. would you have looked upon me with more favor, Kagome?"

Kagome's mouth opened and closed as she stared helplessly at him. "I – I – don't know," she finally managed to stammer in halting accents.

He seemed dissatisfied with her answer, but she really had no idea what to say for she hadn't known him that long; he seemed like a virtual stranger.

_No. Not a stranger -- the blood of Inuyasha ran through his veins, _a voice whispered in the back of her head. Her body had sensed it when he'd tried to kiss her and as he continued to stare at her, she realized that she needed to try and give him a better answer. Moving nervously to stand in front of one of the long row of books on the bookshelf, she stared at them without really seeing them, clasping and unclasping her hands together in front of her for a moment before dropping them fitfully back to her sides, trying to think of a good place to start.

"I suppose many of your suppositions concerning me weren't far from the truth. Ten years ago, when I came home, I was hurting, because I knew that as long as Inuyasha had Kikyou in his life he would never put me first." Kagome lifted a hand and lightly fingered the spine of one of the heavy tomes in front of her. "So I thought if I could find someone here to believe in me, that it would be enough, that it would fill the space that had been left inside of my heart when I severed all communication with him." She paused a moment letting her fingers flit restlessly to the next book, as if she were reading the title. "But as the time passed and I started to remake my life, I found that no matter how hard I tried to fill that space, it couldn't be done. And then I realized the simple reason for that is because it's a space made to be filled by Inuyasha alone."

She turned her head to gaze up at him. Her eyes were earnest, hiding nothing as she gave him a searching look, relieved at how he seemed to accept her answer with a great deal of aplomb. There was no sign of regret anywhere, only the slightest shadow of resignation in his eyes. But other than that, Kagome could find no sorrow written upon his familiar countenance, which led her to believe that he was not too deeply attached to her.

"I feel I should warn you now, Kagome," he murmured in a casual voice, surprising her, "Despite what you've said, despite what I've said, if things should fail between you and Inuyasha, I will still try to make you see me as someone who could take his place."

_That is, if I can somehow fulfill that infernal promise I made to Yukino_ he irritably mused, beginning to think it was going to be impossible to do, considering how abysmally he'd failed to dredge up any attraction for Kagome thus far. He'd be better off trying to convince his sister that his promise had been a silly one. Many successful marriages had been built on friendships. Had he been wise, he would have pointed this fact out to his pigheaded sister in the first place.

Shirogane felt he could build a relationship like this with Kagome for he genuinely liked her – unfortunately he was discovering his feelings for her weren't the kind that could heat the blood to a boiling point, nor were they the tenderness that filled the heart when embracing a special lover. And somehow he doubted they would ever grow to be.

A lasting friendship.

That was all he could hope to gain from this, he reflected discontentedly.

Kagome was slightly taken aback by Shirogane's calm determination regarding a possible future with her. She should make him understand for her there would be no turning back. She could not look towards a tomorrow that did not hold Inuyasha in it.

"I am honored that you regard me so highly, but -- I love Inuyasha, and I always have," she blurted out, her expression tensing and as she continued, and even her voice became tighter. "I will always be eternally grateful to you, Shirogane, for you have given me the chance that never would have come – you were right – for in my heart, I knew that Inuyasha was never going to come back for me, and it terrified me… that's why I have to do everything in my power to make this work! Because of you, I have been given another opportunity to be with him! And this time, I will not let my fears or my insecurities drive me away! I will _not_ fail this time!"

Her fervor and her desperation; all of her love was driving her toward a single purpose, a single destination: towards Inuyasha. At that moment, Shirogane felt like kicking Inuyasha's face in, dog that he was. He truly didn't deserve a woman as deeply caring and profoundly beautiful as Kagome. Kagome wanted him more than anything or anyone. And Shirogane sincerely hoped that dream came true for her sake.

"You know," Kagome mused, interrupting his thoughts and changing the topic completely, "If all you need help with is the purification of your Tama perhaps I could do that without becoming an –ahem-- permanent fixture of your Shrine."

And before he could stop her, she reached for the beads. Her hand barely touched them before there was an instantaneous reaction. A black halo surrounded the Tama and a high pitched ringing filled the room.

"Kagome, let go!" he warned, but it was too late.

There was a snapping sound and the black halo encircling the Tama expanded outwards. Loud raucous voices exploded inside his head filling it with pain, and Shirogane felt them trying to exert their apocryphal control over him. A burning sensation covered his body and filled his lungs, as the voices screamed for a control he refused to wield to them. In his mind, he saw them, eyes burning with hunger and hatred, never leaving the shadows that danced all around, beckoning him, taunting him, promising him things, while he fought to maintain control.

Next to him stood Kagome, a bright halo of soothing light the only sanctuary from the darkness that bordered them in all directions. All at once the internal screaming ceased and Shirogane was able to think. But impatient arms began reaching for them from the shadows, the voices now muttering aloud, low and incoherent. Kagome heard them and she sharply turned seeking their source, making Shirogane lose his grasp on the Tama. It dangled from the Kotodama beads clutched tightly in her fingers, swinging to and fro like a pendulum, beckoning to the hungry evil that sought to hold the corrupted jewel in its grasp.

"The Tama!" Shirogane warned as the muttered whispers became more intense and the darkness rushed in on them, crashing over them like a black wave.

The light around them flickered, becoming as feeble as a candle's glow buffeted by a sudden gust of wind. Shirogane moved protectively closer to Kagome's back. He could feel the malevolence from behind, his skin crawling before claws raked down his shoulders, attempting to rend their way past him, trying to get to Kagome as she struggled for a firmer grip on the beads trying to actually grasp the Kinmotsu no Tama, her terror rising, making her movements clumsy and inefficient. The wraithlike arms did their best to prevent her, grappling with her, intent on wresting the beads and the Tama from her. Her terrified grunts became littered with cries of pain as talons dug into her flesh, wanting to make her let go.

Then suddenly it was over, and Shirogane found himself falling forward, Kagome's shoulders buckling beneath his weight as she stumbled to her knees. The Tama was firmly grasped against her palm; its color had again become the serene opalescent white that signified purity. But the transformation had not come without a cost, Shirogane realized as he staggered to his feet, focusing with concern on Kagome whom he'd nearly crushed.

Burning pain seared his back as he reached down to gently help her to her feet. His eyes widened in dismay at the gouges that scored the backs of her hands. Claw marks, deep and vicious, they welled with blood.

"My god," he breathed softly. "This is the first time the spiritual world has managed to breach the barrier of the Tama to manifest itself upon the corporeal."

_But that wasn't entirely true,_ he belatedly realized. _It had happened one other time, when the spirits inside the Tama had punished Yuki for not heeding their call, burning her with their youki…_ However, his error still didn't change the fact that he was responsible for allowing Kagome to be injured.

His eyes moved apologetically to Kagome's face as he murmured, "I would never have asked you to do something so dangerous had I known the outcome."

Distractedly he ran his fingers through the strands of hair falling into his eyes and then hissed, his mouth twisting into a silent snarl at the pain it caused along his back.

"You didn't exactly ask me to do it," Kagome pointed out, and swallowed convulsively as she tried to regain her composure from the grisly experience.

Trying to keep the blood running across her hands from corrupting the Tama or dripping onto the expensive tatami mat covering the floor, Kagome awkwardly cupped her hands together and lifted them up, letting the blood flow back down her arms instead as she presented the Tama to him.

"I can see why you needed help," she remarked in a thin voice moving around him to look at his back, sucking in her breath at the long bloodied rents in the fabric of her grandfather's kimono. "I think you're going to need some first aid before we do anything else," she observed shakily.

"There's a first aid kit in the kitchen, " he remarked stonily and led Kagome in that direction, looking briefly at his family's jewel, an impotent rage rushing through him.

_Why was this happening? Was it because they had both been indirectly touching the Tama? _he wondered. _Nothing like that had ever happened before_. _Was it because there was so much more corruption to deal with or because the forces inside the Tama had found a way to breach its walls and was seeking to rejoin their other half? _

He slid a surreptitious glance towards Kagome. Her eyes burned bright in a face bleached of all color from the ordeal she'd just faced as she worked to clean the wounds on her hands before disinfecting those that stretched along his back.

_It had been a terrible experience for her_, he mused, wincing as she taped a gauze bandage in place above his right shoulder blade. _Far worse on a physical level than anything Yukino had endured_ – but then he remembered the purple spiraling burn on Yukino's arm and neck. The pain she must have endured, and yet she'd stood strong against the voices, the voices he himself had heard.

That spiral burn would leave a lasting scar, but he knew it would never run as deep as those that his sister carried on an emotional level – then Shirogane gave his head a slight shake as his thoughts came to a standstill, one fact becoming startlingly clear. Those forces that he and Kagome had been subjected to tonight were always there, unseen, bearing down on the human psyche. And all those times that he'd witness his sister performing her rituals, listening to the whispers calling her, feeling the darkness hovering in the air around them until she finished; nowhe finally understood completely why Yukino was always so terrifiedhe reflected grimly.

With that realization other certainties began to founder and he was forced to ask himself a question whose answer he'd thought he'd known: h_ad_ _Kagome really fared any better than Yukino would have during their violent encounter? _

"All done," Kagome told him, breaking into his dark thoughts, trying to keep her tone light despite the heavy air that had settled between them. "I guess now would be a good time to pack?" she ventured uncertainly.

"As good a time as any," he replied, trying to infuse his voice with a bit of charm. "Thank you so much for your help, Kagome," he murmured, rising from his chair and grabbing the kimono from the table, as he turned and faced her.

Kagome waved away his thanks with a smile. "That's what friends are for."

Shirogane didn't reply but he returned her smile, noting that she still lacked color.

As they headed upstairs to begin packing, for the first time since he'd begun to make his plans, Shirogane began to have serious doubts. Could the Kinmotsu no Tama be purified by any miko, Kagome included, without endangering not only her spiritual existence but her physical existence as well? If it couldn't, then he had no business asking Kagome to be his wife. Hell, he had no business asking _any_ woman to be his wife, if that were the case, he mused wearily.

And with that thought, the burden his family had shouldered for five hundred years suddenly felt like it had just became one hundred times heavier.

**Ofuro** a traditional Japanese bath where you sit on a small stool and soap your body, rinsing with water and then immersing yourself in a hot tub of water once your body is clean.

**Jinja** Shinto shrine

**zataku** a contemporary, low table found in one's home

**Cha-dansu** tea chest; for storage of teatime articles

**Ko-byobu** a three foot folding screen that can be very decorative or very plain, depending upon the screen and the use (different screens are different sizes: i.e. honken-byoubu is a six foot screen)

**Butsudan** household Buddhist altar set aside for honoring those members of the family that have passed away

**Fubako** a box for the storage of letters or documents

**Bunko** a document box

194


	11. 11: Hiding in the Darkness

That Which Shines Brightest

**Author's Notes**

**Hiding in the Darkness**

Evil coalesces from the darkness and Yukino is taken. Rin is wounded during battle and Sesshoumaru finds himself a prisoner to his own actions when all is said and done.

Chapter Eleven

Yukino pulled her knees closer to her body under the blanket and listened as the trees behind the small hut whispered amongst themselves. The setting sun had seen an end to serenity, and with the shadows of the evening, an unsettling breeze had begun to swirl through the village. The irori which had been necessary last night became doubly so tonight, and Yukino had already tended the flames several times to make sure the fire did not go out.

_So tired, _she mulled despairingly, and yet she had yet to get one wink of sleep.

Again the wind moved tenuously outside the hut, and Yukino listened to it, heaving a despondent sigh.

_I should have gone with Onii-chan. _

The miserable thought rose in her mind for what was probably the tenth time. _But_ _I needed the sleep more, _she forcibly reminded herself just as she had each time the traitorous words had popped into her head. Her lack of sleep had been the deciding factor for staying behind in the first place. Yukino had hoped to catch up on what she'd missed the night before while her brother was gone.

Only that hadn't happened.

Instead, she'd found herself wasting the remainder of the afternoon obsessing over her brother's absence and worrying that Shirogane's feeling were growing for Kagome now that he was finally spending time alone with her. Of course, Yukino knew she only had herself to blame for that since Shirogane had pushed her to go -- he'd even seemed angry when she'd adamantly refused.

But truthfully, as exhausted as she was, she hadn't felt up to being the third wheel on her brother's "date" with Kagome. And there was also the possibility that he might try to bring up last night while they were at home. She was certainly in no condition to deal with _that_; her thoughts were too scattered and fuzzy from lack of sleep – not to mention that it would have been doubly uncomfortable having that dreaded conversation with him, not knowing what the outcome would be, but still knowing she would have to make the return trip with Kagome nevertheless. The pressure would have been enormous -- too much for her physically and emotionally as things currently stood.

Knowing that this was her only opportunity to rest before facing her brother had made it seem like a solid plan at the time. The only snag was when Shirogane and Kagome had actually left together. Her doubts had begun to creep in then, and her mind refused to shut down, keeping her awake despite how exhausted she was.

She began agonizing over the "what if's", her imagination torturing her with images of her half-naked brother entangled in a lurid embrace with Kagome, much like the one he'd shared with her the night before.

It was a sickening thought, but one that also filled her with a sense of impotent self-fury. _Onii-chan would never do that,_ she vehemently reassured herself, _and neither would Kagome._ -- _At least not now, not when they'd only just met …_

Trying to put it from her mind, she ruthlessly attempted to squeeze every thought concerning her brother from her brain –- however, ruthlessness was not her forte and she found it virtually impossible to do; something she should have considered from the very beginning. Still, she refused to give up, knowing she desperately needed rest. But after laying in semi-darkness for an hour and a half without so much as achieving a fitful doze she began to suspect that it wasn't going to happen. When another forty five minutes passed and she was still staring at the ceiling, her suspicions were confirmed.

Feeling listless and depressed, she'd finally risen and staggered blearily from the hut. Kaede-bachan, who'd been strolling by, had taken one look at the dark circles under her eyes and suggested that she take a nice relaxing bath and try sleeping again. Yukino had seized upon her suggestion immediately.

In all actuality, she'd felt desperate enough to run naked through the woods if she'd thought it would help. Not that she really thought it would, of course, which is why she didn't try it. But a bath – that was an idea worth testing, even though she'd nearly frozen once already today under the cold waters at the falls.

She'd assumed she would again be bathing in frigid stream water, which, while not as unappealing as the "running naked through the woods" scenario, it did come a very close second.

Fortunately, she didn't have to travel far for her bath, or even brave the numbing coldness of nature. Kaede-bachan showed her the nice little ofuro that Inuyasha had built right behind his home, and borrowing a pale blue, cotton yukata from one of the village girls, she was able to take a leisurely soak, complete with steaming, hot water. She'd even stayed in the ofuro an extra long time than was normal for her, hoping the heat and quiet atmosphere would help to soothe her frayed nerves.

It hadn't.

Disappointed, immeasurably fatigued and still keyed up emotionally, she'd returned to her hut to eat the small meal Kaede had provided for her and then had laid back down on her mat, determined to try to sleep anyway, a sense of impending doom beginning to creep over her as she contemplated her brother's return and her exhausted mental state.

Staring idly into the irori flames Yukino wondered what time it was. Out of habit she glanced at her wrist before she remembered that her watch was broken. The quartz crystal had gotten cracked yesterday when Lokki had pushed her down the stairs. She heaved another heavy sigh. The exact time didn't really matter – she could tell just by the darkness beyond the small window and the deep shadows around her that it was late.

_He'll be coming back soon. _

The thought only made her anxiety grow and with a slight groan she squeezed her eyes shut once more.

_Sleep!_ she silently pleaded with her brain.

Her eyes were only closed for a few seconds before they shot wide open once again, the sound of a particularly strong gust of wind as it moved around the corners of the small hut startling her. Not only was it intense, but something about it struck her as odd, and Yukino tensed while listening to the bamboo covering the door flap violently against the wall as the wind pushed it inwards into the room.

Its motion somehow frightened her and she sat up, watching the bamboo shudder and tremble violently for a few seconds until the wind died away and the shade settled back into its normal position leaving nothing but dark shadows in the flickering firelight. Thinking it was over, she prepared to lie back down but stopped when a sudden chill shot up Yukino's spine. She felt as if she was being watched, but the room was empty except for her.

Her eyes moved apprehensively to the little window then, and she was almost afraid to look at it, afraid she would see a face framed within its small square. But there was no one there; just the obsidian veil of night and nothing else. Feeling paranoid now, her blue eyes skittered back to the bamboo shade. It remained unmoving, but still she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't alone.

Then the wind moved again, quieter this time, and Yukino glanced at the back wall of the hut, realizing why the other violent gust had sounded so odd. The whisper of movement among the leaves of the trees; there had been none.

_It was like the wind had moved only around her hut and nowhere else_, she mused uneasily, her fingers tightening against the blanket. But such a thing was impossible! she assured herself, and then almost jumped out of her skin when a voice whispered close to her ear.

"Hello."

With a startled cry Yukino whipped her head around to see the familiar face of her brother. He was crouched on her mat on his hands and knees, leaning towards her just a few inches from her face, and Yukino wondered how he'd gotten into the room so quickly without being heard.

"You startled me!" she exclaimed breathlessly, putting her hand over her pounding heart. "How did everything go with with – Kagome? Did you get everything you needed?"

Her eyes flitted to the doorway behind him. Where were the supplies? She looked for signs of them, but saw nothing; not one single solitary item, and her unease began to steadily rise. Her gaze returned to Shirogane who didn't seem the least bit interested in answering her questions. Instead he cocked his head to the side and let his eyes slowly roam over her face and then down her body, examining her yukata in great detail.

"Did you miss me?" he idly asked, leaning forward, a strange smile stretching across his mouth, as he lifted a finger and lightly traced the v-shaped opening to her yukata, touching the skin between her breasts.

A strange prickling sensation crept up the back of her neck, and Yukino pulled back, retreating away from him, her hand clutching defensively at the opening to her neckline.

"What are you?–" she began and then stopped and abruptly changed it to, "are you feeling all right?" The question had barely left her lips before she found herself trying to evade the groping hand reaching for her shoulder and an alarmed look widened her eyes when his smile broadened as she flinched.

He swooped forward then, his mouth crushing hers and a wave of revulsion erupted in the pit of her stomach.

_This is not Shirogane!_

That was the only thought that registered as she beat her hands against his chest, trying to make him let go.

His rough fingers pulled their way through her hair at the nape of her neck before settling against her shoulders, as the suffocating kiss finally ended. Yukino drew in a sharp breath, trying to stifle the cry caused from the pain of his hand biting cruelly into her burned shoulder as he held her firmly in place.

"I'm better than all right, Sweetness," he replied in a low, mocking voice, jerking her up against his chest, and Yukino thought her heart would sputter to a halt in fright. "I'm incredible. I'll be perfect when you tell me what it is I want to know!"

"L-lokki!" she breathed in a choked voice. Her eyes dilated in shock as a sharp jab of pain snaked down her arm when the pressure of his fingers increased.

"Shhh!" He placed his index finger over her mouth, his eyes dropping hungrily to where it brushed against the fullness of her bottom lip. "Smart and beautiful, Sweetness. I'm impressed," he murmured leaning down to let his tongue slide along her bottom lip, a low, mocking laugh rising in his throat at her look of revulsion. "So how do you like my new look?"

"You beast!" she hissed, pushing against his chest, but his grip was too tight for her to break, "There is no way I would ever believe you're my brother!"

"Oh? Perhaps a different look would suit your tastes?" he inquired mockingly, "how about this then?"

Yukino watched, her eyes widening in disbelief as the face in front of her wavered and grew two dog-ears. Even his clothes seemed to have changed, becoming bright crimson, though beneath her fingers they felt much the same, giving her the impression that he had mastered some kind of illusory magic. His voice when he again spoke had altered as well, and he now sounded just like Inuyasha.

"Is this any better, Sweetness?" he asked with a raised brow, toying with her, his eyes insolent as they stared at her.

"How did you get here? What do you want?" she demanded with a bravado she was far from feeling, fear steadily rising inside her like tidewater. She pushed against his chest again, trying to twist out of his grasp, and grimaced at the pain she caused herself, anger flaring in her eyes when he laughed at her discomfort.

"Such a strong spirit you have, Sweetness. You remind me of the beautiful Sigyn," Lokki complimented, his hand coming up to hold her face still as he stared intently at her. "I can see why he likes you so much."

His thumb stroked her jaw as he continued to stare at her, a strange bittersweet smile tweaking his lips. It was so at odds with what she was used to that it made her blink at him in confusion.

"Who?" She didn't understand his words, or the sudden caressing feel of his fingers. She was used to his cruelty, so this sudden softness was bewildering, for he was touching her almost reverently. "Who likes me so much?" she reiterated.

"Lokki," he replied softly.

That only bewildered her more.

"But -- you're Lokki, aren't you?" she asked, uncomprehendingly.

"He is me and I am him," he replied cryptically, the strange smile finally fading. "Enough idle talk, Sweetness. Where is the Tama?" he wanted to know.

"I don't have it," she stammered, feeling all at once that this Lokki was even more dangerous than the one from before. "Onii-chan took it with him."

A cold look of displeasure swept across his countenance and again the face in front of her wavered, becoming one that she was familiar with associating with Lokki. Only his eyes were wrong; they were light grey instead of the ominous black they used to be.

"What happened to your eyes?" Yukino gasped in shock.

"His eyes are grey. Dominion over flame and shadow; he shall rule the darkness," came the enigmatic reply.

"Whose eyes are grey?" She felt the need to understand his strange riddle, unable to decipher it on her own, but he spared little time to explain it to her, hauling her to her feet.

"Lokki's eyes," he replied curtly as he started dragging her towards the door. "I am him and he is me."

"Stop!" she demanded, trying to pry loose the fingers encircling her wrist. "Let me go!"

"I'm afraid not, Sweetness," came his harsh reply as he swung around and grabbed her close. "I came for the Tama, but since it's not here, I'll take you instead."

The tidewaters inside her burst, fear and panic flooding through her. All at once, Yukino began struggling in earnest.

"You won't make it all the way through the village," she warned caustically, dragging her feet across the floor. "Don't think I'll just go quietly without making some noise!"

"You _will_ go quietly," he told her in a seething voice, "unless you would like to see what other new tricks I've learned. I can put them to good use against your new found friends unless you keep your mouth shut as we leave this village! I've already told you that you are mine, and I mean to make it so."

Before he pushed back the door hanging, he once again assumed the image of Inuyasha and he grasped her by the arm, and dragged her forward, his voice a harsh whisper as he warned, "You will be as silent as a tomb, Sweetness, or I will kill them all."

Rin adjusted the laundry basket against her hip and ambled slowly up the street, listening with half an ear as Suzu warbled a note or two. Her mind was a jumble of confusion, filled with thoughts of Sesshoumaru-sama who'd remained behind at the bridge when she'd paused to get her things from Jyaken and take back the little bird who was now perched so attentively on her shoulder.

Of Atsuji, there had been no sign. Only Mizuna, his temperamental sister, had remained, along with Jyaken of course; both anticipating the return of Sesshoumaru-sama. Together, but separately, they'd stood on opposite sides of the bridge, neither wanting to share the same space or breathe the same air; or at least that's what Rin surmised from the hostile way they were exchanging glares.

But then, they'd glared at her too – or at least Mizuna had. Jyaken's had been more of a disgruntled stare, something Rin was more familiar with, for even as a child that was how he'd always looked at her whenever Sesshoumaru-sama had spared a few extra minutes for her that had somehow excluded him. There was no real malevolence in Jyaken's gaze or in his heart. Of that, Rin was certain.

But with Mizuna, it was different, Rin slowly reflected. Mizuna's hostility was completely different than Jyaken's– and the sheer animosity in Mizuna's eyes as she'd crossed the bridge made Rin shiver. Her willingness to strike Rin down had been completely without reservation. And Rin wondered if the added hostility was because Mizuna disliked the fact that her brother had become friends with a human. If that were so, Rin wasn't sure how to diffuse the situation, other than trying to shun Atsuji's company just to satisfy his sister's ire. But for some reason that solution saddened Rin, thinking that as helpless as he was, Atsuji really needed all the friends he could get.

Again Suzu warbled a note or two, this time leaning her soft, feathered head close to Rin's cheek, and her actions drew Rin away from her troubling thoughts.

"I know, you're hungry," she smiled softly, raising her free hand to stroke Suzu's breast. "As soon as we get home, I promise I'll get you something to eat."

As she finished speaking, Rin heard the sound of approaching footfalls coming from the opposite direction and she narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the faces of the vague shadows approaching her. With a smile she raised her hand in greeting as she recognized one of them as the lively red-head, Yukino. But then her hand dropped sharply to her side as her eyes moved to Yukino's male companion. The man stood next to Yukino, clutching her arm in a vice-like grip, and Rin's own fingers tightened around her basket as she slowly bent to set it on the ground while she rapidly thought about what she should do.

"Suzu, go find Inuyasha," she breathed quietly to the bird. "Go get help."

Without a sound the little bird fluttered away from her shoulder and Rin slowly straightened up, her arms reaching behind her back in a modest pose as she smiled in greeting.

"Good evening," she murmured, her eyes sharp as they swept over Yuki's wooden expression and terrified eyes. As unobtrusively as possible, she wrapped her fingers around her bow, which she had slung across her back to make carrying her basket easier, and calculated how long it would take to reach for an arrow. "I hadn't expected to see you out and about tonight, Yuki-chan, or at least not until your brother returned."

Rin's eyes didn't miss how the fingers holding Yukino's arm tightened nor how Yukino started, flinching ever so slightly.

"Oh well, I – I -- I was feeling restless and couldn't sleep, so Inuyasha suggested that we go for a walk," she improvised nervously.

"Inuyasha, you say?" Rin echoed, watching Yukino nod emphatically before her eyes slid to the man standing next to the red-head. "I hate to tell you this, Yuki-chan," Rin began grimly, bringing her bow out with an unexpected swiftness an arrow nocked against its string before either of the other two could react. "But that is not Inuyasha -- though I suspect you already know that."

"What are you talking about," the man spoke up. His voice surprised Rin and her confidence momentarily faltered at just how incredibly like Inuyasha he sounded. "Of course it's me. Who else would I be?" he asked, with a scornful gesture.

Rin's gaze wavered, but she kept her arrow steadily fixed upon him. _Could she have made a mistake? She'd seen Inuyasha sitting in the tree waiting for Kagome's return as she'd crossed the bridge. There was no way he could've doubled back to the village without her seeing him, was there!_

But his resemblance was uncanny, she thought uncertainly. Her gaze trailed over him once more, from his amber eyes and silver hair down to his crimson kimono and hakama and then it snagged at his waist when she realized what was missing and her uncertainty evaporated like morning mist beneath the sun.

"I don't know who you are, but I do know you're not Inuyasha, no matter how much you may look and sound like him," Rin stated emphatically, "You don't carry Tetsusaiga, so you can't be Inuyasha, for he is never without it."

A broad smile broke out across the man's face and he abandoned all pretense then. "Another pretty, clever girl," he noted with a throaty laugh. "My, my, I guess it's my lucky night."

"Let her go," Rin demanded, drawing back on her bowstring a little more, seemingly unaffected as a gust of cold wind swirled around her, tangling her hakama around her legs and blowing strands of dark hair across her face.

"You won't shoot me," the man taunted in a low voice, his face wavering and his hair darkening, becoming the man that had been responsible for pulling the Ijin from the Shikon no Tama. "Shooting me will only give me more power, and I don't think you're willing to chance that, pretty girl."

Rin's mouth tightened into a grim line at the smug sneer adorning his lips.

"I'm willing to take one shot, just to test it," Rin retorted defiantly, "I'm not above shooting you in the head just to see how well you can absorb the energy from my arrow; that is _IF_ you can absorb the energy from my arrow, since it will purify most things it strikes." She pulled back a little further on her bow string and tipped the aim of her arrow upward just a notch, silently urging Inuyasha to hurry and arrive all the while. "Are you going to let her go, or do you feel like having your thoughts aired out? I am considered to be an excellent shot, and at this range I don't think I'll miss," Rin let her voice trail off suggestively and watched his sneer transform into an ugly looking snarl.

Suddenly Lokki shoved Yukino away from him and she stumbled, completely unprepared to be freed so suddenly. But then he raised his hand, his palm facing outward his fingers curled towards Rin, and her mouth dropped open as she watched him gathering the darkness there in the form of an undulating sphere. Before Rin could react he hurled it towards her and she belatedly tried to twist away to avoid it.

She was unsuccessful and it slammed into her shoulder, driving her back. Her arm was thrown out at an odd angle and she heard a pop as her shoulder separated from the joint. Pain exploded through her, a loud cry of anguish welling up inside her as she went skidding across the ground, tossed like a rag doll by the dark energy. Dimly she was aware of a piercing wail rending the air, and as she managed to focus her eyes on the ground pressing against her cheek, she realized it was coming from her. Immediately she swallowed the sound, the pain spiraling out from her shoulder, up her neck and down her back, turning her stomach inside out so that she wanted to retch.

Intent on clambering to her hands and knees, she tried to move her left arm and brace it against the ground, and immediately another cry was ripped from her throat as white hot pain lanced through her shoulder. Before she could do anything else, she felt strong fingers grab her by her arm, and a dark boot caught her beneath her ribs.

With a yank and a kick, Rin was forcefully whipped about. She landed with a jarring thud against the ground on her back. Her body stiffened with pain as Lokki stepped over her and crouched down in a straddle, his forearms resting against his knees, his hands hanging languidly in front of him as he stared down into her strained paste-colored countenance.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, pretty girl, considering your skills, and all that," he drawled with a sarcastic smile, "but you missed." With a soft, sneering laugh he leaned down, his fingers sliding between the layers of her kimono, groping around her chest as he stared intently into her eyes, his face becoming distorted with anger.

"Get your slimy hands off of me," Rin choked in a voice wracked with pain.

"Now where the hell is _your_ Tama?" Lokki hissed doing just the opposite of what she'd demanded as he let his hand curve around her breast, wrapped as it was in its binding. He felt severely frustrated at having been thwarted for the second time from receiving something to enhance his powers.

"I don't have it, as you can plainly _feel _-- the real Inuyasha does -- " Rin retorted, "now get off," she seethed furiously.

Lokki's eyes narrowed at the defiance in this thin slip of a girl's eyes. There was no fear at all. Just an anger and a brazenness that he found intriguing. Not even the bold Yukino could manage to keep her fear from showing in her eyes. But this one -- either she didn't realize with what kind of power she was dealing with, or she had no fear of dying whatsoever.

"Perhaps that is my intention, pretty girl -- to get off," he purred, leaning closer. His hand squeezed her breast, his thumb moving in a circle over her nipple, and he watched as Rin's eyes widened and filled with wariness.

Rin had no idea what his words meant, but there was no mistaking his tone or the intent of his hand, and she tensed as she felt him grope along the edges of her bandages where the strips of binding cloths met her skin. _He's going to try and take them off,_ she thought in panic. But there was little she could do, except watch him as he smiled gloatingly at her.

Then from the corner of her eye, Rin saw a sputtering light as an arrow came flying towards them and Lokki quickly released her, dodging and rolling away from her as it went whizzing directly through the space he'd been occupying.

Still crouching low to the ground, Lokki swore softly. Turning his head, his eyes searched the shadows for where it had come from. There stood Yukino, and in her hand was Rin's bow. She must have picked it up after it had been ripped from Rin's hand when he had hit the dark headed miko with his energy sphere.

Slowly rising to his feet, his lips quirked into a reluctant half-smile, forgetting about Rin for the moment as his attention shifted back to his original prey, Yukino. He watched her stand her ground with only an empty bow to defend herself with despite her terror, and his smile widened. The little bitch had guts; he had to give her that, he thought appraisingly.

She was poised, a hand halfway to her mouth in a gesture of surprise next to the wall of one of the huts about fifteen feet away. He couldn't see the expression on her face, for it was hidden in the shadows, but he didn't need to see it to know that she was scared. He could taste her fear from where he stood. It thrummed through him like a living, breathing thing.

He was always aware of her emotions when he was near her. He reveled in the exhilaration of her uneasiness when he goaded her or threatened her, of feeling her heart pound when he touched her unexpectedly.

He bet her heart was pounding now.

He wanted to get close enough to feel it for himself.

Yukino couldn't believe that the arrow she'd fire had turned to light. True, it had sputtered somewhat like a roman candle, but still - nothing like that had ever happened in her archery class at home before! Plus she'd almost accidentally hit Lokki when in truth she'd been aiming for the ground near his leg. All she'd really been trying to do was draw his attention away from Rin whom he'd seemed bent on torturing.

Well her plan had worked all too well, for he was now advancing purposefully in her direction, a strange smile that looked akin to admiration twisting his features.

"You should leave now, Lokki," Yukino advised in a quavering voice, "while you still can."

"Bravo, Sweetness," Lokki's rough voice commended, and he clapped his hands at her a few times. "But idle threats fail to impress when all you hold in your hand is an empty weapon and no place to get more arrows," His voice was soft and silky as he sauntered in her direction and his eyes glowed with a dangerous light. "So what were you planning to do to back up your strong words, Sweetness?" he taunted coming to a halt a few feet from her.

"Maybe she was waiting for me, you worthless piece of trash," Inuyasha said from behind him.

Immediately Lokki spun around and saw Inuyasha strolling towards him, his sword drawn, and Lokki's smile widened.

"If you're planning on using that to fight me," he laughed nastily, "it will be a short battle, and it won't end in your favor!"

He punctuated his words by raising his hand, and drawing more darkness into a sphere as he had earlier, but Inuyasha was able to react quicker than Rin, and when it came spinning towards him, he deflected it harmlessly away with Tetsusaiga, flicking a scornful look at Lokki afterwards.

"That's pretty pathetic. Were you thinking you could beat me with a flimsy ball?"" Inuyasha snorted. "--your aim really sucks too!" he added with a grunt as he rushed towards the dark headed man, his sword down, planning to use his fist to hit him.

Lokki just watched, waiting patiently for him, unflinching and unmoving, and Inuyasha momentarily hesitated before his fist connected squarely with his opponent's jaw. Lokki's head was snapped sideways and he staggered a few steps back, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

_Oh hell…_

Immediately, Inuyasha realized his mistake as Lokki straightened, a triumphant smile curving his lips as his tongue snaked out to lick the blood away.

No blood. That was the first rule with Lokki. Hadn't Shirogane said it would only make this bastard stronger?

_No wonder the little turd had just stood there and waited for me to hit him_, Inuyasha seethed, warily backing up a step or two as Lokki again drew darkness from the air and compressed it into a sphere, hurling it towards Inuyasha, but this time with greater force.

Inuyasha again deflected it and felt his teeth rattle, the muscles in his shoulders aching from the jarring sensation. It had become a lot more difficult.

_Thanks to my own damned thoughtlessness_, he groused acerbically to himself.

Again Lokki raised his hand and drew another fistful of energy, holding it for a moment in his palm before sliding a satisfied smile in the hanyou's direction as he eyed Inuyasha's taught expression.

"A few more and I think my aim will be much more effective, and your ability to parry will be quite diminished, eh, Inuyasha?" he chuckled evilly, "So why not make a bargain with me now? Give me the girl, Yukino, and maybe I will leave you and the rest of the village in peace instead of scattered in pieces?"

"I don't make bargains, so do us all a favor and shut your yapping!" Inuyasha snarled.

Lokki just shrugged indifferently. "Have it your way. I'll still take what I want, and then some," he promised darkly before rearing back and lobbing the ball at Inuyasha.

Lokki didn't bother watching as his nemesis deflected it and it crashed into the wall of a nearby hut, almost demolishing it completely. He was busy pulling another one into his hand, quickly preparing to tire Inuyasha out so he could do exactly as he'd said: take what he wanted and be done with it.

But before he had time to launch this one, it was shattered by a piercing light that engulfed his palm with a burning sensation. It pulled at the darkness surrounding his soul as well and he could feel it weakening him, drawing at his consciousness, trying to separate him from his stronger self.

Lokki's eyes widened and he drew back his arm, his head swinging around, enraged to see the two mikos, Rin, and Yukino standing together. They were actually proving more troublesome than Inuyasha, he mused, grinding his teeth as a red haze filled his eyes.

Yukino was supporting Rin's left arm allowing the injured miko to steady her bow since her left shoulder made her arm all but useless and impossible to move.

"You should learn to fear me, foolish girl," he seethed, "now, you'll pay for your brashness."

Rin watched as Lokki raised his hand and began summoning more darkness, the process slower this time. It seemed her purity arrow had diminished his ability to create dark matter.

"Hurry!" she urged, searching the deep tamoto of her left sleeve for a barrier ofuda, not finding one before she knew she was out of time. "We must move away!"

But already it was too late. Lokki had hurled the sphere at them, and Inuyasha was on the opposite side of him, too far to try and deflect it even though he was sprinting madly in their direction.

Rin heard Yukino's piercing scream in her ear, just before the dark ball of energy was in front of her. She fell back a step or too, almost losing her balance, feeling the energy bearing down on her. Using her hand, she tried to push Yukino away from her, wanting to shield the red-head, before the dark mass impacted against her. And then a long, poison whip slashed with precision accuracy just inches from her face and the darkness disintegrated, becoming dispersed back into the shadows of the night.

"Once again, Inuyasha, you have failed to carry out the simplest of tasks," Sesshoumaru-sama hissed with displeasure as he slid to a halt in front of Rin just a few heartbeats ahead of Inuyasha, the two of them forming a protective barrier and partially blocking Rin's view of Lokki.

"Shuddup, you!" Inuyasha growled ill-temperedly, shooting a nasty look at his brother. "I didn't exactly see you being the first one to arrive!"

Taking exception to his half-brother's words, Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he slid Toukijin free from its scabbard. The minute Toukijin was unsheathed, Rin who had been watching the two brothers, let her eyes flicker in Lokki's direction, and the lascivious grin on his face sent a chill down her spine.

Intent on warning him, she took a step in Sesshoumaru's direction.

"—W-wait, Sesshoumaru-sama—" she stammered, and with one eye, Sesshoumaru flicked a sharp look over his shoulder at her until Inuyasha interrupted her and then he turned away.

"Oy, Sesshoumaru," he called impatiently, "you can't use that on Lokki –"

"Actually, I was thinking of using it on you," Sesshoumaru retorted silkily, but his eyes moved contemptuously towards Lokki and in a smooth, liquid motion he sheathed Toukijin. "But it can wait until I finish with him, since you seem incapable of defeating him on your own."

Without another word, he stepped away from Inuyasha, the strong night air catching his hair and winding it around his face and shoulders. He seemed unbothered by it as he continued to moved forward, but Inuyasha impatiently brushed at the silver strands that blew into his own eyes caught by the same breeze as he stomped after his brother, his jaw muscles working overtime as he gnashed his teeth together.

"Oy, you got fleas in your ears?" he called out to the back of his retreating brother, intent on catching up with him. "I said you can't fight him like an ordinary enemy!"

"Stay out of this Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru warned, his normally smooth and controlled voice harsh as he turned and shot a fulminating glance at his brother before continuing onwards towards Lokki.

_Uh oh. _

Rin bit her lip as she watched the two brothers, afraid of what the outcome might be. Turning her head, her gaze sought Yukino's, her eyes, wide and full of misgivings.

"Help me aim my bow one more time," she pleaded with the red-head, "Sesshoumaru-sama is very powerful. We can't let him get close enough to strike at Lokki."

Yukino inclined her head and together the girls shuffled a few steps forward. Rin waited until Lokki's attention was completely absorbed by Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru-sama before she nodded again indicating her readiness. Moving carefully Yukino stepped up behind Rin to help support her arm as Rin began raising her bow. Immediately the pain exploded in her shoulder but she didn't hesitate, her eyes staying focused on the three men in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to let Yukino bear most of the weight as she struggled to keep her arm steady, the slightest movement still excruciating, making her break out into a sweat.

"Hold it a little higher," she whispered in a strained voice, nocking an arrow tight against the bow string, her eyes following Sesshoumaru. He was drawing closer to Lokki despite the interference of his brother, getting ready to pounce as he broke into a run the last few steps before reaching Lokki, his claws extended.

"Your arm is trembling terribly," Yukino breathed, "are you sure you won't miss and hit Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha?"

Rin felt beads of sweat begin to trickle down the sides of her face. "I won't miss," she grimly assured, "but it needs to be a little higher still," she rapidly concluded after checking her sight. Her voice was almost as taught as the bowstring and little pinpoints of light were beginning to explode in front of her eyes from the pain. Yukino deftly made the adjustment and Rin strained to see. "Now!" she breathed as she released the arrow and felt Yukino release some of the tension on the bow as it swung around, the string touching Rin's left hip.

The blazing white arrow sped away from them. It was the only thing Rin could see before it too succumbed to the darkness closing in on her senses, and she stumbled back against Yukino before sliding insensate to the ground, the throbbing in her shoulder thrumming in time to the loud din in her ears that was drowning out the sound of Yukino calling her name.

Sesshoumaru heard the whistle of Rin's arrow over his shoulder a few seconds after he'd reached for Lokki, but he didn't flinch. His amber gaze remained fixed on Lokki's throat. That was his goal. He wanted to rip it out, to watch as the bastard's life blood covered the ground. But he knew there could be no blood. So he would settle for the next best thing: strangling the life out of him, watching him wreathe to the very last, as the air was crushed from his body for what he'd done to Rin.

With his teeth bared in a feral snarl, his fingers tightened around Lokki's throat and he felt a moment of surprise when the human didn't struggle. Next to him, Inuyasha's insistent braying continued as Sesshoumaru felt the bones in Lokki's neck give way and blood began to trickle from Lokki's mouth. Just like Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened when he saw the blood and he knew he'd miscalculated when instead of writhing, the human smiled triumphantly.

Lokki reached up and grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist, his grip, incredibly strong. But before Lokki could gather any more strength from the damage done, Rin's arrow struck him in the shoulder, and his smile was replaced by a disconcerted look. It was a feeling Sesshoumaru shared as the flesh beneath his fingers began to melt away like sand sifting free from his fingers, and Lokki's body became an evanescent dark vapor hovering suspended in front of him.

Thunderstruck, Sesshoumaru watched speechless as an abrupt strong wind washed it completely away, dispersing it into the darkness of the night.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha breathed, perplexed at the sudden howling gust as he stood next to Sesshoumaru. He looked around as soon as he managed to comb through the curtain of hair hanging in his eyes that the unexpected wind had whipped into a frenzy.

"That was a man possessed by more than just a youkai," Sesshoumaru speculated meditatively after a long moment.

Turning on his heel Sesshoumaru headed purposefully toward Rin, but pulled up short when he heard footfalls approaching rapidly from behind and Atsuji went bounding by him, making a beeline in her direction. He was followed by two more of Inuyasha's friends; the young kitsune Shippou, and the young taijiya girl with a dark pony tail who seemed a rather odd sight.

On one shoulder sat a flame eyed cat Sesshoumaru had seen as her constant companion on previous occasions and on the other was the little grey bird that Rin had collected on their return from Inuyasha Forest. She was the same bird that had come zooming up out of the darkness shortly after Rin left with her and she'd constantly fussed at Inuyasha until he'd jumped out of his tree by the stream to head back to the village.

Sesshoumaru's eyes briefly studied the face of the taijiya before drifting to the tall youkai next to her. He couldn't remember the girl's name, nor did he feel inclined to spend energy trying to recall it, as irritated as he suddenly felt. Atsuji was kneeling down, and Sesshoumaru watched, his irritation increasing, as the wretched pup gingerly scooped Rin off the ground.

"You're a little late," Inuyasha grumbled, sheathing Tetsusaiga as he turned and began strolling towards Atsuji. "We could have used you a little earlier, you know."

"Really?" Atsuji asked, beaming, but then his expression crumbled at Inuyasha's flippant reply.

"Yeah, we needed a nice, solid shield for the girls, and you make one helluva a wall," he ribbed with a snort of laughter. "Of course Sango's Hiraikotsu would have worked just as well, but without all the dramatic flair," he added as an afterthought, focusing on the taijiya whose hands where busily roving over Rin's body.

"Inuyasha, don't be so cruel," Sango softly chided, and then glancing into Atsuji's face murmured, "Take her to Kaede-bachan. It looks like her shoulder needs to be treated." Then she shifted her brown eyes to Yukino and asked, "How about you, Yukino-san? Are you all right"

All eyes focused on the red-head who was busy peering off into the dark, murky spaces between the trees just beyond the row of huts, afraid that somewhere, just a few feet away, Lokki was lurking about.

"I- I'm fine," she stammered pulling her arms around herself as the wind cut right through her yukata. "Rin suffered far more at his hands than I did–"

"Maybe so, but you're still not fine, " Inuyasha contradicted, eyeing the stiff set of her shoulders, and the dark circles beneath her glazed eyes.

Reaching out, he took her by the arm, drawing her from the small circle they'd formed just as Mizuna came rolling up out of the darkness. The youkai woman stopped short from them, closer to where Sesshoumaru was, preferring to watch at a distance with a haughty tilt to her chin rather than sully herself with the presence of human interaction.

"We should get you inside where it's warm, and then you can tell me what happened," Inuyasha murmured.

Ignoring Sesshoumaru and his betrothed, Inuyasha pulled Yukino past them, noticing that the young red head had yet to stop shivering. He had to admit it was a little breezy, but after a quick assessing glance at Yukino's face, Inuyasha began to wonder if her shivers weren't from something more than just the cold.

Within a matter of minutes, everyone had melted away, save for Sesshoumaru and Mizuna, and she watched as he moved forward to retrieve a solitary zori from the ground. A ripple of emotion moved across his normally serene face, and Mizuna didn't have time to properly analyze it before it was gone.

_What am I doing, that_ _I have been reduced to retrieving footwear like a common servant? _He was utterly disgusted by his own actions. Still he couldn't make his fingers turn loose of the article, and he suffered a moment of extreme humiliation knowing that Mizuna was standing there, curiously watching as he struggled with his pride. He turned his back to her, towards the path Atsuji had taken and let his legs propel him forward.

"Sesshoumaru!" Mizuna called in a slightly acid voice.

She was displeased that he would just turn and leave her standing there. He'd done the same thing earlier without so much as a by-your-leave, right in the middle of their argument regarding Atsuji shortly after Sesshoumaru had witnessed Inuyasha slide out of the tree and take off towards the village in huff. She'd come looking for him just so they could finish what they'd started and already he was again ignoring her.

"--Surely now you can see how imperative it is that you speak with Atsuji. You must tell him to leave this place!" She hastened to catch up with her betrothed, making a sharp gesture with her hand as she looked up into his face. "He held that shrine maiden like she was a tennin. It's the same way my father holds one of his horrible human servants after becoming disillusioned with his concubines and he's wallowed in a night of too much drink! Have you ever seen it, Sesshoumaru?" she spat, her breasts heaving. "A youkai and a human rut? -- It's enough to turn your stomach!"

Her words made Sesshoumaru pause, as if he found the image just as repugnant as she did. But his face showed no signs of acquiescence.

"I believe I have already told you once tonight that I do not serve as your counselor. If you wish to control the actions of your family, Atsuji included, then look to your father for guidance; not me, for I will give you none." His reply was succinct and he watched her rear back, a resentful gleam in her eye.

"He will only indulge Atsuji in this as well you know, since he has a soft spot for humans, just as your own father did," she informed him, with a knowing look in her eye. "But I know you dislike humans as much as I do!"

She was exacerbated when her arguments still continued to draw nothing but silent refusal on the issue. Why would he not relent, she silently fumed? He had seemed so lenient when she'd first met him, letting her go where she'd wanted, do what she'd wanted. He'd even turned a blind eye to the occasional affairs she'd indulged in. At first she'd thought this was a sign of permissive tolerance on his part, but now she was beginning to wonder if it was just sheer indifference; that in reality, he could care less about what she did.

"You were infuriated when your father mated with a human, so I know you cannot be happy about the alliance that my brother is forming with that, that,… _ girl_! If they were to mate, then that would mean there would be more hanyou in your family!" Mizuna railed, further pressing the point.

"Enough!" Sesshoumaru almost yelled, his amber eyes cold and glacial. "I will not discuss the actions of my father with the likes of you," he declared softly, almost menacingly, and Mizuna felt her cheeks burn brightly at the slight slur he placed on the word 'you'. "Atsuji is your brother. Learn to deal with him on your own terms, Mizuna. Do _NOT_ try my patience any more with this topic, or so help me you will sorely regret it," he warned.

Mizuna stared mutinously at him, her hands fisted at her sides_. The likes of me?_ she percolated in outrage. _What the hell did he mean by saying that? I'm his betrothed, by the gods! Not his sake server!_

"So what do you suggest I do, then, Sesshoumaru-_sama_ to get my brother to abandon this place?" she challenged waspishly, "I have no desire to remain here for another day longer than necessary just to watch my fool of a brother rut with an ugly human!"

Sesshoumaru curled his claws tighter around the rush weave of the zori to keep from throttling Mizuna and it creaked in protest. He managed a negligent shrug turning away from her to continue walking towards his original destination.

He refused to let her words weave any more obscene mental images in his mind, muttering back over his shoulder, "If you do not wish to see your brother, then you're free to leave. That would be the obvious solution. No one is forcing you to stay. If you're concerned that your father will chastise you for leaving your brother unattended, then rest assured I will keep an eye on him. Protecting Atsuji is, after all, part of the treaty I made with Gyousei." he calmly pointed out seemingly oblivious of her stupefied expression that his suggestion to leave without him had wrought.

"You're staying here?" she breathed incredulously, still standing where he'd left her for a second or two before following him.

"Yes." It was a simple reply spoken in a tone that implied the answer should have been obvious, but nothing Sesshoumaru ever did was obvious to Mizuna. And this was even less so, leaving her reeling in confusion as he approached the door to the hut.

"But…why?" she demanded in helpless frustration, when she was unable to discern his reasoning given how much he disliked the human world.

"I have unfinished business here, much of which concerns my brother," he replied coolly, "and until I'm satisfied with the way things are, then I will remain here."

Mizuna watched Sesshoumaru flick the bamboo door hanging back and enter the hut, his words ringing in her ears as she trailed slowly after him. _Satisfied with the way things are…_

What things! she seethed. What could Sesshoumaru possibly have to be concerned with in this village? She hadn't been able to pry that information out of her brother earlier, as hard as she'd pushed him for it. All he would tell her was that Sesshoumaru's brother resided in this village and that once a month, Jyaken was sent to monitor Inuyasha's coming's and goings and then report back to Sesshoumaru. It sounded plausible, but Atsuji's voice had gone flat, like it usually did when he was lying…

But that didn't necessarily mean that he was lying, for it had been flat the entire time he'd been talking to her, partly due to the fact that she'd been insisting he return home, something he'd adamantly refused to do. And for the first time in his life, she'd been unable to bully, threaten, or cajole him into doing what she wanted him to do.

_All because of that stupid little shrine maiden_, she internally raged as she slapped the bamboo shade aside and steamed across the threshold to stand beside Sesshoumaru.

It was extremely crowded inside the impoverished dwelling, and Rin was awake now sitting cross-legged, close to the irori. The little, grey bird had switched company and was now perched upon the miko's bared, right shoulder. Her kimono was pulled low, exposing the upper part of her breast bindings, a livid bruise blossoming along the ridge of her left collar bone amid some very old looking scars and more recent looking scratches that seemed to extend beyond her shoulder and across her chest. These scratches matched the ones criss-crossing her face and an old witch of a woman was standing next to Rin examining her.

At the thwapping sound of the flimsy bamboo shade hitting the wall, the old crone turned her faded brown eye in Mizuna's direction, as did everyone else and Mizuna raised her chin and stared defiantly back.

Still furious at the little dab of a girl who was the center of everyone's attention, Mizuna said the first words that popped into her head, "Such ugly scars, for as young a human as you appear to be."

Satisfaction curled through Mizuna as she noted the startled look on the shrine maiden's face before it became stained with color, and the hostility level in the room immediately rose a notch or three; all of which seemed to be directed towards her; but Mizuna didn't care.

"Yes, they are very ugly," Rin agreed softly, her lashes sweeping against her cheeks, feeling very vulnerable, very flawed and ugly. "I was attacked by wolves when I was a child – if it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru-sama's life-giving sword, Tenseiga, I wouldn't be here today," she finished gratefully, a shy smile directed towards the youkai lord standing proudly erect next to Mizuna.

Mizuna seemed stunned for a moment, her face frozen as if it were carved from jade, then she shot an accusing look first at her brother and then at Sesshoumaru.

_It was this girl, this human that Sesshoumaru had interest in. Not Inuyasha! But -- why? He'd saved a human – brought it back to life … but why on earth would he want to?_ _Why would he even care? _

The answer to that remained elusive, and a poisonous rage exploded inside her knowing that her betrothed was linked to this human's past, while seeming to still have an interest in the pathetic girl's current welfare. Mizuna's gaze flickered down to the sandal in Sesshoumaru's hand, then to the bare feet of the little miko and her rage increased two-fold. He was showing more consideration for this little trollop than he did her, his own betrothed!

That was _NOT_ going to happen_! She was the lily of her clan! No man could resist her, and she would make sure that Sesshoumaru did not stray from her side, no matter what it took!_

"How fortunate for you, Sesshoumaru carries that otherwise useless sword" she cooed, a sleek smile curving her lips, "and yet, 'tis unfortunate at the same time. Had you been stronger, like a youkai, you would not have needed Tenseiga to revive your pitifully frail human body. Nor would you be marred by the ugly scars you are now forced to bear. 'Tis a pity indeed," she sighed, pretending not to hear her brother calling her name in a strangled voice. "A human such as you would probably not even survive the thrill of the Hunt should a youkai wish to –-"

"Mizuna!" Sesshoumaru castigated, his head jerking sideways, directing a narrow glare of warning down at her.

He turned, intending to seize her by the shoulder and remove her from the room at almost the same time that Atsuji bounded forward, heading purposefully for his sister. Sesshoumaru was again beaten by the younger youkai as Atsuji grabbed Mizuna by the arm and dragged her backwards through the door with a gibbered apology to everyone in the room. Rin gaze left the floor and she watched Atsuji and his sister, her eyes clashing with Mizuna's, seeing the malicious gleam there before the bamboo shade swung back into place.

_The Hunt? _What was that? Rin wondered, bewildered, her eyes flickering to Sesshoumaru then, who stood rigidly next to the door. Unexpectedly she found his amber eyes trained unrelentingly on her, glowing with a smoldering rage, and she hurriedly looked away.

Was he still upset with her? she wondered gloomily, _because of what she'd said in the forest_? What must she do to make him forgive her? Did the answer lie in being more like his betrothed? The dark clouds of gloom descended even heavier upon her at the thought, and she was unable to suppress the wish that Sesshoumaru had picked someone different to be his mate. As beautiful as Mizuna was, she seemed far too…venomous.

"Shippou, go fetch some of Rin's herbs for me," Kaede-bachan sat back and spoke up for the first time after finishing her examination, "Sango, please go to the stream get some fresh water for me." She handed Sango a canister, and then turned back to Rin training her one good eye on the young miko's face as the room cleared leaving only Rin, Sesshoumaru and the old priestess. "You got hit pretty hard, eh? Your bone has left its joint," she grunted disapprovingly, "Didn't Inuyasha teach you how to dodge, child?"

Feeling slightly embarrassed to be scolded so openly in front of the man she'd idolized since her childhood days, Rin slid a furtive glance through her lashes at Sesshoumaru as he left the door and sauntered towards her and Kaede-bachan. She lifted her hand and tried to shield the scars on her shoulder as he got closer, not wanting him to see them. Her movement upset Suzu who still perched on her right shoulder and she flapped her wings and chattered admonishingly at being dislodged.

"Well I did try, but my feet couldn't move fast enough," Rin explained apologetically, trying not to be so aware of Sesshoumaru-sama. She concentrated on Kaede-bachan as the stout woman lumbered towards the corner of the room to bend down with a grunt, and Rin bit her lip. "I'm terribly sorry, Kaede-bachan," she mumbled, and the old woman turned a startled face in her direction.

"Whatever for, child?" she asked querulously, half bent forward, her hand poised out in front of her, in the middle of reaching into a tansu in the corner.

"Well, Chihaya's baby is due any day now and Tatsuki's leg still hasn't healed properly and needs to be looked at. Then there's Chisato and her sisters out there on the edge of the village on their farm by themselves, waiting for her husband to return…" Rin's voice faltered, and she knew from Kaede's blank look that the old woman didn't understand what she was trying to say. "It's so much for one person to do by herself," she stammered, fidgeting, "and I know how stiff your joints are in the mornings now…" again she trailed off miserably. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I just always wanted to be here to help you – I certainly never wished to be a burden."

Anything else she might have thought to add was stranded in midstream, the flow her words drying up as the drape of Sesshoumaru-sama's kimono sleeve brushed against her bared skin and she realized just how close he was standing next to her.

Rin was completely disconcerted when Kaede-bachan's raspy chuckle filled the room after a moment as the old woman finally realized what Rin was worried about.

"You have helped me immensely and you are never a burden, Rin-chan," Kaede assured her gently and then she added dryly, "but you know, I'm not that decrepit yet. If I know you," she added wryly, "I'm sure you'll be helping me more than any normal person could despite your injury. But don't worry, there is always Shippou and Sango to help when needed, and now that Kagome is back, I'm certain she will help too – also there is her new friend, Yukino-chan, too, so I have plenty of help. You are worrying needlessly over me, child, so don't."

Kaede-bachan turned away then, beginning to sift through the contents of the tansu, and Rin frowned in dissatisfaction, startled when Sesshoumaru moved even closer and crouched down. His beautifully shaped ear was level with her nose and if she turned her head just a bit and looked down, she could see the texture of skin beneath the crimson slashes on his face, and see the sweep of his lashes almost touching his cheeks as he concentrated his gaze downwards. As immersed as she was in studying his profile, it was with a start that she realized he had carefully placed something in her lap.

_Of course…why else would he be that close?_ she told herself, but then her heart, which was already beginning to thunder violently in her chest beat even harder, working double time to push the blood into her face when he turned his head, bringing his face even closer to hers. He brought his hand up to her shoulder, deliberately sweeping her fingers away as his eyes traced the deep silver gouges of scar tissue left by the fangs of the wolves that had attacked her as a child. Then he lifted his gaze to her face, and Rin held her breath, bracing herself for the anger she'd seen just moments earlier in the depths of his eyes. But all she found was kindness.

"Never be ashamed." His voice was low and gentle, for her ears only, and his thumb brushed lightly against the scars and scratches, sending a chill along her skin before he dropped his hand away. "Especially because of another's callous words. The child that suffered these scars sought to offer me life in her own way when I was suffering. I have not forgotten that, nor will I ever forget."

Rin looked down at her lap and saw the zori then, and felt her heart swell with emotion. Even though his betrothed had been the one to hurt her, he was trying to shield her from the pain. His kind consideration overwhelmed her.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her voice quavered as she spoke, and she tightly gripped the zori, unable to look at him, humiliated at how easily she became discomposed by his simplest actions.

He stood then resting his hand briefly against the top of her head before drifting away. It was a gesture of comfort that one might bestow upon a child, Rin mused dully as Kaede moved back in their direction, a long scrap of cloth she'd fashioned into a sling in her hands. The old woman shuffled past the tall youkai, unintimidated by his overpowering presence and slowly took her place next to Rin, waiting for Sango and Shippou to return, noting that Suzu was becoming restive.

She'd left Rin's shoulder and was flitting about, picking at some of Kaede's things.

"There is nothing for you there," Kaede grumbled, and then "stay out of that!" when the little bird grumbled back.

"She's hungry," Rin explained apologetically calling to the bird who again settled against her shoulder after a little more chattering that sounded distinctively like twittered muttering. "Please be patient a little longer. I will feed you when we get home," Rin told her softly, rubbing a finger down her breast, unaware that she was being watched very carefully by a pair of amber eyes.

A few minutes later Shippou and Sango returned and Kaede mixed the grounded herbs with the water, heating it to make a strong opiate. Pouring it into a cup, she handed it to Rin who seemed rather reluctant to drink it.

"No fair, Rin," Sango teased, "you feed it to me whenever I'm wounded, so you can't very well resist when it's your turn to take your own medicine!"

"That's right!" Shippou piped in.

"At least not without a lot of protest," Rin observed with a weak laugh, putting the cup to her lips and taking a big swallow.

After a few minutes the drug began to work, and Rin felt her senses dulling. Then she heard Kaede-bachan ask her, "Are you ready?"

Trying to focus on the older woman she nodded. Kaede-bachan clambered to her feet then. Shooing Suzu from Rin's shoulder, she motioned for Sesshoumaru to take the spot she'd vacated beside the young miko as she stepped behind Rin, her warm hands feeling along Rin's shoulder. Pressing against it, she tested it, searching for the joint, sending little trickles of pain along Rin's shoulder and neck. Before Rin realized she was going to do it, Kaede used her thumbs and with a jerking motion sent the bones back into place with a horrible crunching motion.

With a garbled cry Rin stiffened, her vision blurring as she slumped forward against Sesshoumaru who put a steadying arm around her, holding her close as her breath came in great gusts while she tried to keep the tears pooling in her eyes from spilling. Her shoulder throbbed intensely, and she hated to think what it would feel like had she not taken the medication before Kaede had reset the joint. After a long moment, she weakly straightened up, moving away from the warmth of Sesshoumaru-sama's arm, dimly aware that the cup was being pushed into her hand.

Rin obediently swallowed more of the bitter opiate with a grimace before the sling was tied around her neck to keep her arm and shoulder immobile. She was only vaguely aware of the others speaking about the battle with Lokki, but the pain made it impossible for her to concentrate on what they were saying. She willed the opiate to do its job, wanting the throbbing to dull, knowing that it would adversely affect her dulled senses even more, but uncaring at this point, almost unable to bear the sharp stabbing sensation running through her neck and arm. Keeping her eyes focused on the furry pelt wound around Sesshoumaru's arm, she concentrated on breathing in and out and after a few minutes she sighed in relief as the drug began to work its magic.

Kaede's keen eye kept a sharp watch on Rin as she patiently waited for the opiate to do its work and as soon as Rin's eyelids began to droop her gaze slid thoughtfully to Sesshoumaru. She considered asking him if he was capable of carrying Rin with just one hand, but then realized it would only insult him. So instead, she told him where Rin lived and watched as he lifted the young miko with ease, seemingly unflustered when Suzu buzzed around his head, looking for a place to light. Sesshoumaru's head pivoted with the bird's movement watching her for a few seconds and waiting patiently for her to settle upon his shoulder before he turned and carried Rin from the hut.

With a dry snort, Kaede watched them leave and then began directing Sango and Shippou and their task of cleaning up, her mind dwelling on the noble youkai and his young charge. Such a proud and haughty façade; but she understood why Rin thought so much of Inuyasha's brother, for it was obvious to see that he thought much of Rin as well.

Sesshoumaru briefly paused as he left Kaede's hut, noting with satisfaction that there was no sign of either Atsuji or Mizuna. Atsuji had probably dragged his sister a good distance away, fearful that she would again invade the old miko's domain and upset Rin with her venomous tongue, and for once, Sesshoumaru was grateful to the boy. He didn't feel like dealing with Mizuna's narcissistic temperament at the moment.

He was more than content to lift his gaze and let it drift among the crystalline sparkles blanketing the velvet darkness of the sky while the silence of the evening washed over him, mingling with the warmth of Rin's body against his chest. Together they acted as a balm soothing away much of the tension in his shoulders brought on by the barbed tongue of his bride to be. Bringing his gaze back down, he traced the sweep of Rin's lashes against her scratched up cheeks, noting too, that despite her sleep laden countenance, there was a furrow of discomfort between her brows.

Perhaps her shoulder hurt too much to let her fall into a deep sleep, he mused. And as that thought struck him, her eyes creaked open to gaze at him, restless and full of pain. She didn't speak, but gazed up at him, and he was unaware that from her vantage point his face was framed in starlight. With a frown, he looked away, cognizant of the fact that she was still watching him, and he wondered what she was thinking, for when Rin's body was still and she was silent, it meant her mind was busy.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," she mumbled, "I don't mean to be a burden."

Her words surprised him, and he tried not to let it show. That was the second time tonight she'd said those words.

"You're not," he simply said, his dry gaze flickering to the bird that had just nibbled on his ear. She was peering expectantly at him and he raised a quizzical eyebrow as she quirked her little beak at him and chattered a few notes.

"But I'm taking up your time, when I'm sure you had planned to return home… or else you'd much rather be spending time with – with Mizuna-san," Rin pondered these depressing thoughts aloud over the sound of Suzu's chatter.

Even to her own ears she sounded miserable, and Rin turned her head away. Giving in to the weight of her heavy lids, she closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised when Sesshoumaru-sama didn't respond to her. His boots crunching along in the dirt and the odd note or two from Suzu were the only sounds in the growing silence. _–And is it any wonder that he doesn't respond? ­_she mused drowsily, _Sesshoumaru-sama was never one to suffer fools lightly and what she'd said had been extremely foolish -- Of course he would rather be with his betrothed! _

"I wouldn't."

The smooth, resonant sound of his voice was unexpected. It made her head turn, her eyes springing wide open, and their gazes clashed. Two simple words, said so matter of factly, but there had been such a soft expression in his eyes in that brief second when he'd been looking down at her before his gaze slipped away that it made Rin's heart feel funny. Not knowing how to respond, she hid her face against the soft fur pelt along his shoulder and she missed the small smile that tweaked his lips that her childish act provoked.

"Your bird," he remarked quietly, a restrained note of impatience tempering his voice. "…she keeps biting me."

Rin burrowed deeper into the fur and Sesshoumaru's smile widened just a bit as she mumbled, "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama. She's hungry, and she thinks you'll feed her."

"I see," he murmured, looking askance at the bird who seemed to be getting rather testy because she had yet to see one sprig of a mushroom presented to her.

"I promise I will feed her… I'm really sorry if she's bothering you," Rin mumbled, again burrowing just a little deeper, the warm spot against his chest and shoulder becoming a little warmer.

Sesshoumaru grunted noncommittally, having finally arrived at their destination. Turning to the left, he pushed past the bamboo door shade and entered the hut Kaede had indicated was Rin's home. It was mostly dark inside, the fire in the irori having burned down to embers. Suzu finally left his shoulder and headed towards an empty bowl sitting on the corner of the kotatsu and hunkered down with a plaintive chirp to wait. Sesshoumaru ignored the sound as he carried Rin over to where two mats were separated by a small space on the floor and wondered who shared the hut with Rin.

"Someone lives with you?" he couldn't resist asking, making sure his voice held only the vaguest note of idle inquiry.

"Sango," she replied in a thick voice, pointing to the mat that belonged to her and he turned towards it. "When I first came here, she invited me to stay with her. She was used to having a brother… and a father… living in the same house…and being alone was hard for her. And I had just left Sesshoumaru-sama and Jyaken-sama and I thought – I thought—" Rin paused, her voice becoming awkward, sounding just like an abandoned child, remembering how lonely and bereft she'd felt when she'd first come to the village when Sesshoumaru-sama had left her and not returned, " I didn't want to be alone either. So I agreed to live with her and it has worked out well for both of us," she finished as he gently laid her on her mat.

He prepared to stand back up, but stopped when she started to sit up. Putting his hand out, he put it in the middle of her chest and pushed her back down. It wasn't hard to do. She didn't have much strength.

"What are you doing?" he asked her quietly, noting that her skin felt flushed with heat.

"I'm going to feed Suzu," she replied after a moment, trying to drag her fuzzy thoughts together.

Her brown eyes followed his hand as he brought it up and smoothed the tendrils of hair away from her brow. It felt nice, his fingers drifting through her hair and her eyelids drifted closed as she savored the feeling for just a moment, a small sound somewhere between a hum and a sigh escaping her lips.

"You have a fever," he told her placidly as his fingers swept across her heated brow. "Tell me where her food is and I'll get it."

"In the corner," she mumbled, her bleary eyes peeping open as he rose gracefully and drifted to the corner of the room, "Not that corner," she corrected, when she saw him standing in the wrong corner, long strips of white cloth trailing from his hand, a look on his face that clearly stated he didn't think he had what constituted as the requirements for Suzu's meal. "That's the wrong… Those are my breast…. Those are my bindings…" she stammered sleepily.

_He didn't really need to know that though, _she thought, mortified despite her sluggishness.

"Which corner?" he asked in an aloof voice as he put the bindings back in the small hitsu he'd found them in.

Rin pointed again and watched Sesshoumaru glide across the room, noting that Suzu was watching him too, and that she got excited when she saw where he was going.

"Daikon radishes, mushrooms or dried persimmon slices?" Sesshoumaru-sama inquired in his sleek voice.

"Mushrooms," Rin mumbled, watching him carry them to the table and dump them in Suzu's bowl.

With a cheerful sound, the little bird dipped her head down and Sesshoumaru snorted to see how quickly she devoured the food. Then without another word, he began drifting towards the door, preparing to leave.

_He's not going to say goodbye_. Rin didn't want him to go, for this could be the last time she might see him for a long time.

_Please stop!_ She wanted to cry. But she couldn't. She could never ask him for that. She had no right. She was just a human, and he was…

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He didn't pause, but raised an inquiring eyebrow at her as he continued towards the door and so she hurriedly pushed the first words past her lips she could think of, desperate to have him stay for just a while, just for a few minutes, to share his company like she used to, when she was a child, when a bond of companionship existed between them.

"Wh-what is the hunt?"

"That is nothing you need ever concern yourself with," came his dismissive answer as he continued towards the door.

She must think of something else or he would be gone – perhaps for another ten years, perhaps even longer this time. Perhaps he would even by married by the time she saw him again.

That thought caused such a horrible pain that she felt it might crush her heart.

Two more steps and he would disappear outside and she didn't know how to stop him, what she could say that would make him turn around and stay. But then she did the unthinkable, her heart burdened by the pain of losing him forever and she blurted out the question before she even realized it.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, why did you choose Mizuna-san?"

Immediately his face became enshrouded in ice and her heart felt like it was going to sputter to a halt, a she stared fearfully at him. She'd gotten her wish, but at what cost? Sesshoumaru-sama had indeed stopped moving; he'd stopped dead in his tracks as a matter of fact, his eyes hard and cold as he glared at her.

Full of remorse, Rin put her hand up to her mouth, almost terrified of saying anything else, terrified of what might come out next, but she knew she must at least try and apologize for her impertinence.

"S-sesshoumaru-s-sama… I'm t-terribly sorry! -- I had no right to ask. I beg you, please, d-do n-not be angry --" she whispered brokenly, and while she spoke, his face if anything became even more glacial.

Unable to finish her sentence, she rolled away from the door, away from him, jarring her shoulder in the process and almost gagged from the pain that swelled to an almost unbearable level. She closed her eyes against it, waiting for the throbbing to ebb. The next time she wearily opened her eyes it was to stare blankly at the shadowed wall facing her, knowing that he was gone.

The room seemed to be colder and darker without him even though it really hadn't changed at all, and a hard shiver crept up her spine. It was followed by another. And then another, and Rin woozily realized that her fever must be climbing from the shock of her injury. She needed to stoke the fire in the irori, came the dim thought through the clouds of mist fogging her mind.

Carefully shifting onto her back, she slowly sat up and then gritted her teeth as another hard shiver shook her frame. She waited for it to pass before she pushed herself to her feet, taking a few shuffling steps forward, pulling her right arm closer to the left one resting in the sling across her chest to try and draw some warmth to her body as she suddenly began shivering in earnest. Her teeth were clacking together constantly now as the cold air circulating around the room enveloped her.

Feeling utterly miserable, Rin glanced towards the dull orange glow of the irori in front of her, and as she stared at it, it doubled and began to spin, like she'd just drunk too much sake. With a groan she closed her eyes and stopped moving, afraid that if she tried to go forward, she would pitch head-first towards the floor and re-injure her shoulder.

So she stood there, the cold air wafting around her, swaying and shivering like a hollow reed in the throes of a storm.

"I hate sake," she mumbled miserably between gritted teeth.

"Oh?" A smooth voice challenged quietly next to her and her eyes shot open to find Sesshoumaru-sama standing there with a cup in his hand, his eyes still seething with anger. "I would think as a miko, you would revere the drink as sacred since it is much favored by the gods… and used for kensen"

Rin blinked in confusion at him, automatically taking the cup from him when he held it out to her.

"I – I –" her mind was too clouded to come up with an answer, and she could only stare blankly at him, mesmerized by the luminous silver of his hair and how it glowed despite the lack of light in the room, and his amber eyes, hidden beneath heavy lids as he waited for her to finish what she was saying. "You came back…"

Her voice had a note of uncertainty about it, like she almost couldn't believe he was standing in front of her.

Sesshoumaru tilted his nose imperiously, his brows soaring as he eyed the cup.

"Drink it." He ordered, in no mood to be indulgent.

Rin's eyes wandered down to the dark liquid and she lifted the cup to her lips. Despite his brusque command, Sesshoumaru was amazed that she didn't even want to know what she was swallowing. Her trust in him was so implicit that she obeyed him without hesitation. She handed the cup back to him, still half full, her teeth clacking together, and he took it from her with a frown.

"I don't think I can drink anymore," she told him in all honesty, "but thank you for bringing it for me."

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything while he bent to set the cup on the ground. _Foolish girl! _He wanted to chide, her. Asking impertinent questions that she had no right to ask, and then turning around and blindly trusting him… it was maddening to have her infuriating him one minute, and then turning his anger inside out and making him feel things he should not feel for a human -- or a youkai for that matter -- the next!

_But perhaps_, he reasoned, all of his other thoughts coming to a halt, _she didn't need to ask what was in the cup. She was a miko and a healer after all and should be able to identify most draughts by the color and taste, shouldn't she? So it wasn't necessarily a matter of trust at all. It could have been her innate knowledge that had kept her silent. _

Having reached that conclusion, Sesshoumaru was able to hang on to the tail end of his anger. As he rose, he put his arm around her and turned her around, heading her slowly back in the direction of her mat.

"So you knew what was in the cup, did you?" he asked coolly.

"Er, no," she replied fuzzily, stumbling a little, wondering if he was making fun of her.

_So she didn't know_, he mused with an irritable snort.

"Then why did you thank me for it?" he asked with a mockingly raised eyebrow, a thread of amusement tempering his voice as he watched her lie down on the mat, her body trembling as it tried to warm itself. She started to turn her back to him, but he squatted down, his fingers ensnaring her wrist, holding her in place, his seething expression demanding a response.

"B-because…" she sputtered through chattering teeth, wanting to lift her blanket and pull it closer around her shoulders, but couldn't because her hand was still locked in his grasp. "--b-because… I didn't want you to be mad at me anymore…" She said it softly, her expression shamefaced, and his amusement died an instant death.

_She was such a child, thinking that she could fix things so easily_, he scornfully told himself … but he found the last vestiges of his anger dwindling away, for as impudent as her question had been, there was nothing in her demeanor to sustain it.

"I had no right to ask you such a question, Sesshoumaru-sama," she whispered quietly, in between violent shivers. "I'm not sure why I did … I only know that as a child I had hoped… that you would …find someone to fill your life with smiles – someone that would make you happy and keep you from being lonely. And as beautiful as Gyousei-san Mizuna is, I do not think that she makes you smile… I promise that I will say nothing more, so I beg of you, do not be angry at me anymore," Rin pleaded wearily, closing her eyes, as she trailed off into silent shivers.

Sesshoumaru let go of her wrist and pulled the blanket up, carefully tucking it around her shoulders, his hand trailing up to her brow, smoothing back a few tendrils of hair before he lightly pressed the backs of his fingers against her forehead. He was disturbed at how very warm to the touch she felt. Rising to his feet, he turned and headed for the irori where he quickly attended to the fire.

_The frailty of humans._

His eyes lingered on the splash of feverish color running across Rin's cheeks as he bent and picked up the discarded cup and carried it over to where she lay. Another reason to eschew them. Their lives were like a glimmer of the wishing star that streaks across the sky. There one minute and gone the next. _What good did it do to get attached to something If, in the space of a few breaths, it would only wither and die?_ a hard cynical voice demanded.

But he could not quiet the concern rising in him on her behalf. She had been his to watch after as a child, and he supposed that she should be his now. His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he felt riotous emotions tug sharply at him as he reached this conclusion.

Possessiveness, satisfaction, that same gnawing hunger that had begun to stir in him while he'd been in the forest… and something else he couldn't quite define…

With a frown he pushed them all away and slowly moved forward, collapsing cross-legged onto the floor next to Rin in one graceful motion. She'd stopped shivering, a sign that her fever had stopped climbing, but now she seemed to be in the midst of a deep slumber and she didn't stir, not even when he again brushed his fingers against her temple, noting that while no longer rising, her fever still had not begun to abate. Perhaps she needed to drink more of Kaede's medicine, he mused, looking at the cup he had placed next to him. Softly he called her name, and still she remained motionless, the opiate for her pain pulling her into heavy sleep.

Leaning over her, he slid his arm beneath her head and shoulders and slowly lifted her until he could slide closer to her. Her eyes creaked open, barely revealing the dark color beneath the heavy veil of thick lashes.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she mumbled sleepily as he propped her at an angle against the soft fur mantle covering his shoulder and chest.

"You need to drink the rest of Kaede's medicine," he told her holding the cup out in front of her, making her take it despite her resistance. "You're fever is not coming down."

"I can't," she protested, her words slightly slurred as he pushed the cup into her hand, "my head is spinning."

"Like sake," Sesshoumaru murmured in comprehension, his fingers again brushing against her temple, feathering through the dark strands of hair that lay there in a soothing motion. "Just a little at a time," he coaxed.

Rin made to raise the cup to her lips and then groaned and turned her head, feeling nauseous.

"I can't!" she breathed.

"Just a little," he reiterated softly, "a small amount, Rin. I'll stay with you until you finish. I'll even answer your question…but you have to finish what's in the cup."

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe that he'd just pandered to her, bargaining his personal business over a few mouthfuls of weed filled liquid. He thought he could sink no lower but he was wrong.

"N-no, Sesshoumaru-sama, you really don't have to tell me," Rin mumbled diffidently, knowing that he disliked those who probed into things that did not concern them. And it was very obvious that his love life did not in any way, shape or form concern her.

"If you did not want to know, then why did you ask me?" The question had a slight edge to it. "Or were you perhaps just _trying_ to rile my temper?" he asked silkily.

"N-no! I would never purposefully make you angry!" she immediately replied shaking her head emphatically, her hair rubbing against his chest and releasing a strong wave of her scent, that immediately wafted to his nose.

He tried not to breathe it in, but it was impossible not to, just as it was impossible not to want to lean closer to her, to bury his face against her neck and breathe deeper. He needed to get away from her, he realized with sharp clarity, his canine instincts sensing the danger she posed to his well ordered existence, but he felt incapable of leaving, as if he was already shackled to her by some invisible bond that had been forged ten years ago, a bond that was not meant to be severed.

"So you want to know, then?" he asked, his eyes on the untouched liquid in the cup, realizing his pride had just sunk a notch lower as he actually stooped to ask her such a question.

"Y-yes," she replied timidly, her voice beginning to sound sleepy again, "I did want to know, b-but not at the cost of angering you."

"Well the cost will be one cup of medicinal broth," Sesshoumaru replied smoothly, "sipped slowly, of course," he paused for a moment and then added, "I will start when you start."

After a few seconds, Rin hesitantly raised the cup to her lips and took a small swallow, and Sesshoumaru made a slight sound of satisfaction.

"Atsuji's father, Gyousei is a very powerful Taiyoukai, very much like my father was," Sesshoumaru began. "His clan spans many generations, but he has not been, er, discriminating with whom he shares his bed, so his seed has spawned many children. Over time he has learned that many who bear his blood do not yield the same mastery of sword, nor do they seem to be inclined to try to rise to the heights that their father has reached among the youkai, preferring to spend their time pursuing more entertaining pastimes…." Sesshoumaru paused lost in thought for a moment, his mouth suppressed into a thin line of disapproval before continuing, "This has greatly disturbed him, especially since his first born and most favored son seems to be inept at most everything Gyousei has tried to teach him…"

Sesshoumaru again paused watching Rin take a sip from the cup before she mumbled woozily, "Atsuji?"

"Atsuji," Sesshoumaru affirmed grimly. "Knowing my father from long ago and having heard of my reputation, Gyousei approached me, and offered me a treaty: a union between our houses, the hand of his eldest daughter and equal dominion over his clan. In return I offer my protection to those of his clan should the need arise, and I also ensure that should Mizuna fail in her duty to protect her brother, that the boy doesn't squander his foolhardy existence on the sharp ends of some greedy oni's talons. Of course, Gyousei is relying on my Tenseiga if such a thing like that were to happen – which is one of the main reasons why he chose me in the first place – because he does not fully trust the skills of his eldest daughter to protect his first born son."

"So you entered into the engagement knowing that you were protecting all of those people?" she asked querulously.

Sesshoumaru was hesitant to answer that question, knowing how she would interpret it, but she was pushing him for an answer.

"Neh, Sesshoumaru-sama, isn't that true?" she reiterated sleepily.

"Well, yes, but that's not--" he began, about to clarify his answer but she didn't give him a chance.

"You are always so kind, Sesshoumaru-sama," she sighed contentedly.

"No," he disagreed, watching her put the cup to her lips once more and then hold it away and turn it upside down to show that it was empty. "I am not as noble as you think I am, Rin. My reasons for the alliance were purely selfish."

Rin turned her head and looked at him, her warm brown eyes clouded with sleep. "Tenseiga knows you're noble," Rin's lip protruded into a slight argumentative pout. "It is a sword of immense strength – one that holds the Balance of Life and Death within its blade, thus it is a Sword of Compassion. If you weren't noble then I don't think it would have chosen to call you Master." Still facing him, she pressed her cheek against his shoulder, her countenance taking on a childlike quality as she let her eyes drift close, her face tilted towards him. "The heart with so much to give – that is you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she sighed. "Tenseiga and I have shared that secret for a long time. I just wonder when you're going to realize it yourself…"

She was asleep, and he could only stare at her, his mind in utter turmoil at the things she'd said. He'd dismiss it as utter absurdity if his heart was not beating so out of rhythm from her tantalizing scent. The differences between her and his betrothed were laughable. Mizuna was everything she was not, so why did he feel like he'd made an incalculable error?

_Impossible! _

He never made errors of that magnitude… !

And yet he wanted…

Raising his hand, he cupped the back of her head, his fingers unwinding the cord that kept her hair pulled back, releasing a wave of her scent as her hair drifted free. After a brief internal struggle he rested his cheek against her forehead and took a deep breath, his eyes drifting half-closed as her scent ensnared his senses

_So much to give_, she'd said.

There was none he wanted to give to, he scornfully assured himself. And yet… He couldn't stop thinking of it as he sat there, holding her.

His greatest mistake…

**Yukata **a light cotton kimono

**Sigyn** Norse goddess of the Aesir, she is mother to Narfi and Vali and is known as "the Faithful"

**Zori **Sandal

**Tennin** Buddhist angel

**Hitsu **Storage chest

**Kensen** Food and drink offering made to the goods in a Shinto ceremony

**Tamoto** The sleeve pouch of a kimono sleeve

**Ofuda **Talisman or charm

233


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